India had its own prime meridian long before the Greenwich Meridian was established. This ancient prime meridian, known as the “Madhya Rekha,” passed through Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, as highlighted in a new Class-6 NCERT social science textbook. The revised textbook introduces notable changes, such as the removal of references to caste-based discrimination and modifications to the depiction of B.R. Ambedkar’s experiences with discrimination. Additionally, the Harappan civilization is renamed “Sindhu-Sarasvati.”
The new textbook frequently references the “Sarasvati” river in discussing the origins of Indian civilization, describing the Harappan civilization as the “Indus-Sarasvati” or “Sindhu-Sarasvati” civilization. According to the textbook, the “Sarasvati” basin included major cities like Rakhigarhi and Ganweriwala, alongside smaller towns. The river, now seasonal, is known as the “Ghaggar” in India and “Hakra” in Pakistan, collectively referred to as the “Ghaggar-Hakra River.” The textbook, titled “Exploring Society India and Beyond,” also details the Vedas without mentioning the caste system or the exclusion of women and Shudras from studying these scriptures.
The revised textbook, a streamlined combination of previously separate history, geography, and civics books, has significantly reduced content on ancient Indian kingdoms. Stories of Ashoka, Chandragupta Maurya, Chanakya, the Gupta, Pallava, and Chalukya dynasties, and the works of Kalidasa have been omitted. The only mention of King Ashoka is a single word in the timeline of the fourth chapter. Additionally, a previously detailed chapter on “Villages, Towns, and Trade” has been significantly shortened, and references to the iron pillar at Delhi’s Qutub Minar, the Sanchi Stupa, the monolithic temples of Mahabalipuram, and the Ajanta cave paintings have been removed.
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