West Bengal to add Syama Prasad Mookerjee to school syllabus
School Education Minister Deepak Barman announced the removal of the Singur movement chapter and changes to examination schedules.
The West Bengal government will include the life and work of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee in school textbooks and remove the chapter on the Singur anti-land acquisition movement, according to reports by Hindustan Times and India Today.
School Education Minister Deepak Barman said on Wednesday that a committee has completed a revised syllabus. This new curriculum will place more emphasis on the history of West Bengal and its notable figures.
Mookerjee will be featured in every textbook with a short introduction to his life. Additionally, the committee recommended dropping the Kanyashree scheme chapter from Class 6 books and removing the Singur movement chapter from Class 8.
The government is introducing Information and Communication Technology as a structured subject for Classes 5 to 8. Third-language textbooks will also be provided for Classes 7 and 8, while the full text of 'Vande Mataram' will appear at the start of every textbook.
Barman noted that discussions regarding the 'no-detention' policy and the pass-fail system are ongoing. The state is also looking to reschedule 2027 Madhyamik and Higher Secondary exams to avoid conflicts with the Census exercise.
The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education has proposed moving Class 10 exams to March 2-16. The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education may propose holding fourth-semester exams after March 16. Barman said revised dates will be announced by next week.