Amid the ongoing NCERT Darwin’s Theory row, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Department of Zoology, Cytogenetics, Prof SC Lakhotia said that biological evolution is a fundamental process and understanding it is critical for biology applicants.

This comes after more than 1,800 scientists, science teachers and educators have written an open letter recently raising concerns about the chapter on ‘Theory of Biological Evolution’ being dropped from the NCERT textbook for Class 10. “It is extremely unfortunate that it (Darwin’s theory) is being removed permanently. Biological evolution is a fundamental process and understanding it is critical for biology applicants and general people. What is scientifically correct students have the right to know it. Why NCERT is doing this we do not know,” said Prof SC Lakhotia.

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Earlier on Saturday, Minister of State (MoS) for Education Subhas Sarkar said there was “misleading propaganda” about the removal of Darwin’s Theory from the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) science textbook for class 10.

While talking to ANI, Subhas Sarkar said, “It is misleading propaganda to remove Darwin’s Theory from the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) Curriculum.”
“Due to Covid-19, rationalization of courses was going on, to reduce the burden of studies on the child. If a child wants to study, Darwin’s Theory is available on all websites. In class 12, there is already Darwin’s Theory in the syllabus so there should not be such false propaganda,” MoS Education added.

As part of its curriculum rationalisation exercise, the NCERT had last year announced that the chapter ‘Heredity and Evolution’ will be replaced with ‘Heredity’ in the Class 10 science textbook.

Among the topics dropped from the chapter are ‘Evolution’, ‘Acquired and Inherited Traits’, ‘Tracing Evolutionary Relationships’, ‘Fossils’, ‘Evolution by Stages’, ‘Evolution Should Not Be Equated With Progress’ and ‘Human Evolution’.

Recently more than 1,800 scientists, science teachers and educators including scientists from noted institutions such as the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) and IITs, among others have written an open letter recently raising concerns about the chapter on ‘Theory of Biological Evolution’ being dropped from the NCERT textbook for Class 10.