NCERT removed Tipu Sultan, Haidar Ali chapter from class 8 textbook

NCERT: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has removed explicit mentions of Tipu Sultan, Haidar Ali, and the Anglo-Mysore Wars from the newly released Class 8 Social Science textbook for the academic year 2025-26.

The previous Class 8 history textbook, “Our Pasts – III,” had a section that specifically detailed the resistance of Mysore rulers Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan, often referred to as the “Tiger of Mysore,” against British expansion. It also covered the four Anglo-Mysore Wars fought in the 18th century.

The new textbook, titled “Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1),” focuses on the colonial era in India but omits these specific historical figures and conflicts.

According to Michel Danino, chair of the NCERT textbook development group, the aim of the current Class 8 textbook is to provide a broader overview rather than exhaustive details. He stated that trying to include everything would lead to “cramming textbooks with dates and wars.”

The new textbooks are designed to align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework 2023, which advocate for a new approach and pedagogical tools.

The new textbook places a greater emphasis on the economic exploitation and cultural loot under colonial rule, as well as early uprisings like the Sannyasi-Fakir rebellion, Kol Uprising, and Santhal rebellion. It also expands on the history of the Maratha resistance.

Controversy and Concerns:

The omission has sparked controversy, with critics arguing that it presents an incomplete or “selective” view of India’s anti-colonial struggle and could dilute students’ understanding of diverse historical resistances.

Concerns have also been raised about the portrayal of certain historical periods and rulers, with some suggesting it reflects a broader trend of historical revisionism.

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