Preamble in NCERT books: Jairam Ramesh submits privilege notice against Pradhan for 'misleading' RS

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has submitted a notice to initiate privilege proceedings in the Rajya Sabha against Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for "misleading" the House over the issue of alleged dropping of the Preamble to the Constitution from certain NCERT textbooks.

In his letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Ramesh said that on August 7, 2024, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge raised the matter regarding "omitting the Preamble to the Constitution of India in the textbooks by NCERT for children of Class 3 and 6".

"In response thereto, Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education, subsequently (at 12 Noon) inter alia stated 'abhi bhi kaksha 6 ki jo pathyapustak aayi hai, usme bhi preamble hai (the textbook for Class 6 that has come out also contains the preamble)'," Ramesh said.

This assertion by Pradhan is factually "incorrect and misleading", Ramesh said in his letter to Dhankhar dated August 8.

"In support of my contention, I enclose herewith copies of textbook for Class 3 titled 'Looking Around' (Environmental Studies), November, 2022 edition, textbook in Hindi titled "Rimjhim-3' November, 2022 edition and textbook of Class 6 titled 'Honeysuckle', December 2022 Edition. In these textbooks, the Preamble to the Constitution had been incorporated as was done in the earlier editions of the textbooks," the Congress leader said.

On the other hand, in the textbook for students of Class 3 titled 'Our Wondrous World', June 2024 edition, textbook in Hindi titled 'Veena', June 2024 edition and the textbook for students of Class 6 titled 'Poorvi' June 2024 edition, the Preamble to the Constitution has been omitted, he claimed.

"Thereafter, your goodself, had inter alia observed, '...If he is wrong, it is a breach of privilege. .. (Interruptions)... If what the hon. Minister says is wrong, then, it is a breach of privilege'. The relevant extracts from Rajya Sabha Debates dated 7 August 2024 as well as from the textbooks referred to above are enclosed for reference," he said in his letter.

Omission of the Preamble to the Constitution in the textbooks of school children is a "grave affront" to the very concept of generating awareness among youth of this country about the spirit of the Constitution of India, Ramesh said.

"It was this point which the hon'ble Leader of the Opposition had contended while raising the matter during Zero Hour on 7 August, 2024. The contentions made by Dharmendra Pradhan contesting the assertions made by me in the House in this regard as already stated are misleading," Ramesh said.

It is well established that "misleading and misrepresentation of facts" on the floor of the House constitutes breach of privilege and contempt of the House, he said.

"I, therefore, request you to initiate privilege proceedings against Dharmendra Pradhan in this regard," Ramesh said.

Education Minister Pradhan on Wednesday has said the Preamble to the Constitution is in the NCERT textbooks of Class 6 as he refuted charges made in this regard by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

Earlier, the Congress party had raised the issue in Rajya Sabha, saying dropping the Preamble from textbooks was an attempt to impose communal ideology on the country - a claim which Union Minister J P Nadda countered, saying the government was committed to protecting the Constitution.

The minister informed the House that till now textbooks for up to class 7 have been published.

"Leader of the Opposition was saying that earlier there used to be Preamble (in the textbooks). In the new textbooks of Class 6, there is Preamble. Not only Preamble, there is Fundamental Duties, Fundamental Rights, and National Anthem (in the books). These also represent core values of the Constitution and they are in the books. What he said was not a fact," Pradhan had said.

Ramesh has given the notice of privilege motion under Rule 187 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Rajya Sabha against Pradhan.