New Delhi, India | November 21, 2025 :
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has revised school history textbooks by removing the honorific term “Great” from the names of Mughal emperor Akbar and Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan. This latest curriculum update, revealed in November 2025, has ignited a fierce political debate between ruling BJP-RSS factions and opposition Congress leaders.
RSS leader Sunil Ambekar praised the revisions, stating they represent a move towards historical accuracy by presenting figures with a balanced view of their achievements alongside their cruel deeds. Ambekar emphasized that no historical personalities were excised, but students must understand the full context of India’s past.
Conversely, the Congress Party condemned the changes as an ideological attempt to erase secular icons from history, urging NCERT to reverse the decision. The revisions form part of broader curriculum updates being phased in across multiple school classes, with further changes for Classes 9, 10, and 12 expected next year.
This controversy highlights ongoing tensions in India’s political landscape regarding history education and national identity, as calls for preserving pluralistic narratives meet demands for reassessing historically lionized figures.
