In revised textbooks, students to read about history of former state

Vikas Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 22

Students enrolled in schools (government and private) in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, who are not familiar with the history of the erstwhile state of J&K, will now get an opportunity to learn about it.

The J&K Board of School Education (JKBOSE), which has made changes in the syllabi and courses, besides revising the textbooks of Classes VI to X, has finally come up with the revised publication of textbooks.

The new revised textbooks are being taught in the Kashmir division, winter zone of the Jammu division and the Union Territory of Ladakh from the November-December 2019 academic session.

The school board has made available the revised textbooks in all districts which come under the winter zone. For the summer zone areas of the Jammu province, the revised editions, titles and syllabi will be applicable from the March-April 2020-21 academic session.

The changed textbooks in the Jammu province districts are likely to be available in the markets in the first week of March this year. A set of revised textbooks, which is available with The Tribune, has detailed information about the erstwhile state.

In the Class X textbook of political science, the chapter titled ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019’, gives details about the passing of the resolution in both Houses of Parliament, wherein the President had issued an order on August 6, 2019, declaring all clauses of Article 370 except clause (1) to be inoperative, ending special rights and privileges upon the J&K permanent residents.

“The President of India assented it for implementation on August 9, 2019. It contains provisions for the reconstitution of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, one to be designated as Jammu and Kashmir and the other as Ladakh. The Act came into effect on October 31, 2019,” the chapter says.

It also mentions that by virtue of the Reorganisation Act, Parliament had placed J&K under the direct control and supervision of the Central government after splitting it into two Union Territories. The chapter provides the history of the erstwhile J&K state, ranging from Instrument of Accession to Article 370 and its provisions.

There is a chapter in the Class X history textbook on ‘Modernisation of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State and Post Independence Era: Jammu and Kashmir on the path of modernisation’.

The Class IX political science textbook has a chapter which gives brief information about the electoral politics in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Similarly, the history textbook in one of its chapter carries a write-up on the integration of princely states: A case study of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Class VIII history textbook gives formation about the erstwhile J&K state and Dogra in chapter No. 11, while chapter No. 7 of the geography textbook has a mention about the industries of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. Chapter 11 of political science textbook provides information about social exclusion and inclusive policy in J&K.

The Class VII history textbook in its chapter No. 11 mentions about medieval history of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, while the chapter No. 10 of the political science textbook gives detailed information about the structures of the governance in J&K.

In the chapter No. 9 of the geography textbook of Class VI, there is a chapter titled ‘Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh at a glance’, while the history textbook has a chapter titled, ‘Ancient Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh”.

School board makes changes

• The J&K Board of School Education has made changes in the syllabi and courses, besides revising the textbooks of Classes VI and X.
• The new revised textbooks are being taught in the Kashmir division, winter zone of the Jammu division and the Union Territory of Ladakh from the November-December 2019 academic session.
• For the summer zone areas of the Jammu province, the revised editions, titles and syllabi will be applicable from the March-April 2020-21 academic session.