Allegations of removing preamble from textbooks is baseless: Prof Ranjana Arora, NCERT

NEW DELHI: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has made notable adjustments to its curriculum for the current academic year by removing the Preamble to the Indian Constitution from several Class 3 and Class 6 textbooks. This change affects textbooks in subjects such as languages and environmental studies.
For Class 3, the Preamble has been excluded from textbooks for Hindi, English, Mathematics, and “World Around Us,” which replaces the former Environmental Studies (EVS) subject.Previously, the Preamble was featured in the introductory pages of these books, serving as an initial exposure to the core values of the Indian Constitution.
In Class 6, the Preamble is no longer present in the new English textbook “Poorvi” and the Sanskrit textbook “Deepakam.” The environmental studies content has been reduced from three textbooks to one. However, the Preamble remains in the Hindi textbook “Malhar” and the science textbook “Curiosity.”
NCERT’s response on the issue
In response to concerns about these changes, NCERT stated in an official tweet that their educational materials aim to provide a thorough understanding of constitutional values. Professor Ranjana Arora, Head of the Department of Curriculum Studies and Development at NCERT, stated in the official statement, “The notion that only the Preamble reflects constitutional values is false. We intend to impart these values in a variety of ways, in line with the NEP-2020‘s vision for holistic child development.
NCERT has responded to the controversy surrounding the removal of the Preamble from textbooks, claiming that the claims lack substance. NCERT tweeted, “For the first time, NCERT is emphasising various aspects of the Indian Constitution, including the Preamble, Fundamental Duties, Fundamental Rights, and the National Anthem, across different textbooks and stages.” The assumption that only the Preamble expresses constitutional values is flawed. Children can also learn these values from Fundamental Duties, Fundamental Rights, and the National Anthem, all of which are equally important for holistic development under NEP-2020.
Check the official statement below-

What changes have been made to NCERT textbooks?
For textbooks of class 3: The Preamble has been removed from all new textbooks, including those for Hindi, English, Mathematics, and “World Around Us.” Previously, it was included in the old EVS book “Looking Around” and the Hindi book “Rimjhim 3.”
For textbooks of class 6: In the updated textbooks aligned with the NEP-2020, the Preamble remains in the Science book “Curiosity” and the Hindi book “Malhar.” It has been omitted from the Social Science book “Exploring Society: India and Beyond,” which instead covers fundamental rights and duties. The previous editions included the Preamble in the English book “Honey Suckle,” the Science book, the Hindi book “Durva,” and all three Social Science books.
The new English textbook “Poorvi” includes the National Anthem, while the Sanskrit textbook “Deepakam” features both the National Anthem and the National Song, but not the Preamble. The earlier Sanskrit book “Ruchira” also did not include the Preamble.