An RTI activist has sent a legal notice to the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) and sought to make amendments in the book after the NCERT said that they had no references to the claims in 12th standard books that Mughal emperor Aurangzeb gave grant for repairs of temples.

As per the reports, RTI activist from Bharatpur Dapinder Singh has sought to make amendments in the books taught to school children as the information mentioned in the book is not based on facts. Singh feels that without any evidence Mughal rulers like Aurangzeb and Shah Jahan are portrayed as great in school history books. History books should be based on facts and if information is put about things there is no evidence for, it distorts history.

In January, an RTI application was made to seek evidence on the claims made on Mughal ruler giving grants for repair work of temples. On page 234 of the history textbook, it says, “All Mughal emperors gave grants to support the building and maintenance of places of worship. Even when temples were destroyed during war, grants were later issued for their repair – as we know from the reigns of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb.” 

The petitioner had sought two details regarding the claim. First, the source from which NCERT concluded that Mughals had issued grants for rebuilding temples destroyed in war during the regime of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, and second, the number of temples repaired by Aurangzeb and Shah Jahan. The reply to both the queries were “The information is not available on the files of the Department”. The reply was furnished by professor Gouri Srivastava, head of the Department of Education in Social Sciences and also the Public Information Officer.

NBT report says that another RTI activist Sanjiv Vakil said that students are taught history based on imagination. “NCERT books are considered benchmark for educational books. They are also used for preparation of civil service and other competitive examinations. The future generation is being pushed into wrong direction and it could lead to disastrous results,” he was quoted saying.

The NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) confirmed that it has no evidence to prove that Mughal emperors had rebuilt temples destroyed in wars, even when it claims the same in its history textbook. This was revealed in an RTI application seeking evidence for the claim made in the textbook.

The chapter labels the Mughal empire as “a unifying force”, quoting Abu’l Fazl, Mughal chronicler and author of Akbarnama. It mentions how Akbar had abolished the jizya, and people from various religions and ethnicities were given awards and positions in the Mughal empire. However, in the paragraph claiming that the Mughal rulers had rebuilt temples after demolishing them, no source is given.

Therefore, an application was filed under the Rights to Information Act seeking the evidence of the claim made in the NCERT textbook. The petitioner had sought two details, regarding the claim, first, the source from which NCERT concluded that Mughals had issued grants for rebuilding temples destroyed in war during the regime of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, and second, the number of temples repaired by Aurangzeb and Shah Jahan.

As reply to the petition, NCERT said that it does not have any information regarding the claim it made in the textbook. The reply to both the queries were “The information is not available on the files of the Department. The reply was furnished by professor Gouri Srivastava, head of the Department of Education in Social Sciences and also the Public Information Officer.