The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has introduced the Election Commission's controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls into its new Class 9 Social Science textbook. The textbook presents the exercise as a mechanism to ensure clean voter lists without mentioning the political and legal controversy that has surrounded it for the past year.
What the New NCERT Textbook Says About SIR
The revised textbook, titled Understanding Society: India and Beyond, explains that the SIR is conducted to ensure "that no eligible citizen is left out and no ineligible person is included" in the electoral rolls. According to National Herald, the textbook also praises the Election Commission of India (ECI) for conducting elections 'impartially' despite challenges such as 'fake news, misinformation and intimidation'.
Controversy Surrounding the SIR Exercise
The inclusion of the SIR in the textbook comes even as the exercise remains one of the most politically and legally contested actions by the Election Commission in recent times. Critics have raised concerns about the process, but the NCERT textbook does not address these controversies. The textbook presents the SIR as a straightforward administrative measure to clean up voter lists.
Our Take: A One-Sided Portrayal in Educational Material
In our view, the decision to include the SIR in a Class 9 textbook without mentioning the surrounding controversy is problematic. Students deserve to understand the full context of how electoral processes work, including the debates and disagreements that shape them. By presenting the SIR as an uncontroversial exercise, the NCERT risks giving students an incomplete picture of India's electoral system. Educational materials should aim to inform, not to gloss over important political and legal disputes.
