Rajasthan Orders Review of Textbook Allegedly Favoring Congress Leaders

Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar on 10 July ordered a review of the Class 12 history textbook "Azadi Ke Baad Ka Swarnim Bharat Ka Itihaas," saying it disproportionately highlights Congress prime ministers while omitting Bharatiya Janata Party figures such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi. The book, prepared during the previous Congress administration, has already been distributed to about 20,000 state-run schools for the 2025-26 academic session. Dilawar stated that future editions would not ‘glorify’ rulers like Mughal emperor Akbar and would present a more balanced account of post-Independence India. He described the current content as resembling a "Congress publication" and said the education department would amend the syllabus once the inquiry is complete. The Congress party dismissed the planned revisions as "narrow-minded," with senior leader Pratap Khachariyawas arguing that the government cannot rewrite history by removing references to leaders such as Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. The political row adds to India’s broader debate over how historical figures are portrayed in school curricula.