India: NCERT modules on Chandrayaan spark controversy for 'mixing science with mythology'

The National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT) released detailed modules on Chandrayaan after the successful touchdown to educate school children about India’s space accomplishments. The NCERT modules, named Chandrayaan Utsav, however, sparked a controversy for “mixing science with mythology.”

Several reports from Indian news outlets say that NCERT reading modules promote pseudoscience and make misleading claims for middle-school students.

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The All India People’s Science Network (AIPSN), a consortium of 40 organisations from 25 states, has also expressed concern that the modules are ill-written with errors and incorrect information. The consortium said that they could drive students away from the “existing field” of space science.

NCERT’s module on Chandrayaan sparks controversy

The set of modules titled ‘Chandrayaan Utsav’ was released online on Oct 17 in Hindi and English languages. The release took place at an event in New Delhi with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and ISRO Chairman S. Somanath in attendance.

The journey of ISRO’s Chandrayaan mission was divided into ten modules with interactive graphics and engaging illustrations.

Many reports claim that the piece reportedly has an excessive focus on Prime Minister Narendra Modi rather than on the contributions of the ISRO and the scientists involved in the mission. Other reports also allegethatmodules consistently referred to India as ‘Bharat’ across its 17 pages.

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What do modules contain?

A module for students of Classes IX and X, for instance, contains the following text: “The moon is the brightest and largest heavenly body in our night sky. There are many benefits Earth gets from the moon… it (the moon) creates tides and protects Earth from solar winds, ideal for studying the universe.”

The AIPSN has described the text as misleading and inaccurate, as they said that the moon only appears to be the largest heavenly body because of its proximity to Earth.

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“The moon protecting the Earth from the solar wind is inaccurate and the second part of the sentence, ideal for studying the universe does not have any connection to the first and is meaningless here,” the AIPSN said.

Education Ministry clarifies

In response, the Ministry of Education has clarified that it is important to “equip teachers and students with knowledge that transcends traditional textbooks”. It said this endeavour aims to instil a sense of pride in India and its accomplishments.

The ministry added that it is essential to extend curricular material beyond textbooks with a focus on the nation’s achievements in an accessible and captivating way.

(With inputs from agencies)

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