NCERT Director DP Saklani criticized parents’ obsession with English-medium schools despite their lack of trained teachers, calling it “no less than suicide” since government schools now offer quality education. Speaking to PTI editors, he highlighted that cramming in English has caused knowledge loss and disconnected children from their roots and culture.

Saklani emphasized the importance of teaching in the mother tongue, aligning with the new national education policy, which promotes multilingual education. He mentioned an initiative to develop primers in 121 languages to connect students to their cultural roots. According to the 2020 National Education Policy, instruction should be in the home or local language until at least Grade 5, preferably until Grade 8, with continued teaching of these languages thereafter.

Prime Minister Modi praised the use of mother tongues in education as a step towards social justice, despite some criticism. The new National Curriculum Framework mandates studying three languages, including two Indian ones, in classes 9 and 10, and one Indian and one other language in classes 11 and 12.

The NCERT also faces controversy over the revised Class 12 political science textbook, which omits the Babri Masjid reference, among other changes. The new Class 11 textbook now suggests that political parties prioritize minority interests for vote bank politics, contrasting with previous content.

Also read: No attempts to saffronise textbooks: NCERT chief