No Tipu Sultan, Anglo-Mysore Wars in Class 8 NCERT Book; Govt Explains Why
The omission of Tipu Sultan, Haidar Ali, and the Anglo-Mysore wars from the newly revised NCERT Class 8 Social Science textbook has sparked questions in Parliament. The Centre has clarified that states have the flexibility to add regional historical figures and events to their curriculum.
Parliament Query on Omission
Trinamool Congress MP Ritabrata Banerjee raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha, asking whether the colonial-era chapter in the updated textbook excludes these prominent historical figures and the four Anglo-Mysore wars of the 1700s — and if so, why.
In response, Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary explained that education is a Concurrent List subject, with the majority of schools falling under state jurisdiction. This allows state governments to adopt, adapt, or create textbooks based on the National Curriculum Framework, giving them the scope to add more coverage of regional history.
Revised Book Under NEP 2020
The new Class 8 Social Science textbook (Part 1) has been redesigned in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023.
The book is structured into four themes:
India and the World: Land and the People
Tapestry of the Past
Governance and Democracy
Economic Life Around Us
According to Chaudhary, personalities have been included contextually in line with curricular objectives, focusing on a broad survey of Indian civilization from prehistoric times to Independence. The updated syllabus emphasizes experiential learning, fieldwork, evidence-based understanding, and refined classroom practices.
What’s Included Instead
While the revised edition removes references to the Anglo-Mysore wars, Tipu Sultan, and Haidar Ali, it includes a section on early resistance movements against British colonialism, such as:
The Sannyasi-Fakir rebellion
The Kol Uprising
The Santhal rebellion
Various peasant revolts of the 1800s
Context
The earlier NCERT Class 8 textbook featured the expansion of British rule in India, including the four Anglo-Mysore wars and the resistance led by Tipu Sultan and Haidar Ali. The omission in the latest edition has now become part of a broader debate on curriculum changes under NEP 2020.