After omitting Darwin’s theory of evolution, the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) has courted yet another controversy by deleting the chapter on the periodic table from Std X science textbooks as part of its “rationalisation” exercise. Consequently, students will no longer be taught about vital scientific concepts such as evolution, the periodic table of elements, sources of energy, and environmental sustainability.

In addition to the periodic table, the council has also removed chapters on Democracy and Diversity, Popular Struggles and Movements, Political Parties, and Challenges to Democracy from the Political Science textbooks. These omissions have raised concerns within academic circles, as many experts and teachers believe that the excluded topics remain highly relevant today.