Bengal govt to include Syama Prasad Mookerjee in school curriculum, drop Singur chapter

Synopsis

West Bengal's government plans to introduce lessons on Syama Prasad Mookerjee in the school curriculum. The chapter discussing the Singur anti-land acquisition movement will be removed from Class 8 textbooks. Information and Communication Technology will also be added as a subject for students in Classes 5 to 8. The government is currently considering rescheduling upcoming Madhyamik and Higher Secondary examinations to avoid conflicts.

Kolkata: The West Bengal government will introduce lessons on the life and contributions of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee in the school curriculum and drop the chapter on the Singur anti-land acquisition movement, School Education Minister Deepak Barman has said.

The revised syllabus, prepared by a committee, will place a greater emphasis on the state's history and its prominent personalities, he told reporters on Wednesday. "Mookerjee will find a mention in every textbook, with a brief introduction to his life and contributions."

The chapter on the Singur movement, which was part of the Class 8 syllabus, has been dropped. The committee has also recommended removing from Class 6 textbooks the chapter on the Kanyashree scheme, a flagship conditional cash transfer scheme of the previous TMC government.

Information and Communication Technology will be introduced as a structured subject for students of Classes 5 to 8, with a prescribed syllabus. Third-language textbooks will also be introduced for Classes 7 and 8.

The complete text of 'Vande Mataram' will be printed at the beginning of each textbook. The quality of textbook paper has also been improved, the minister said.

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On removing the "no-detention" policy up to Class 9, Barman said discussions were underway, and a decision was expected shortly.

The government is also considering rescheduling the 2027 Madhyamik and Higher Secondary examinations to avoid a clash with the Census exercise, which will require the deployment of schoolteachers.

The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) has proposed holding the Madhyamik (Class 10) examinations from March 2 to 16, instead of the earlier schedule of February 15 to 25.

The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) is expected to propose holding the fourth-semester Higher Secondary examinations after March 16, instead of the tentative January 22-February 23 schedule.

Barman said the proposals had been received and revised examination dates would be announced by next week.

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