One Nation, One Syllabus: What Does It Mean & Is India Likely To Implement It Soon?

A Supreme Court lawyer, Ashwini Upadhyay, recently said: "India will become Bharat only when we do away with the present education system set up by Macaulay and introduce one-nation-one education system and one-nation one syllabus through one education board."?

The issue of One Nation, One Syllabus or One Nation, One Education Board first came into the spotlight through a PIL filed by lawyer and BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay in 2023.?

But what is One Nation, One Syllabus and what changes would it require in India's education system for implementation??

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What does 'One Nation, One Syllabus' mean??

Schools in India come under different education boards, such as CBSE, ICSE and IB, as well as various regional boards.?

These different boards of education all follow different syllabi.?

The petition requested following a "one-nation-one-board" system, wherein the syllabus would be set up by a National Education Council/Commission.It urges standard textbooks for the nation.?

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Pros and Cons of 'One Nation, One Syllabus'?

Though different education boards follow different syllabus, but national-level examinations for engineering, medical and law courses compete through one syllabus. That is one reason why one syllabus for the entire nation could make sense.?

One curriculum could also ensure that all students are learning the same things and are getting the same opportunities.?

Upadhyay alleges in his plea that: "Education mafias are very powerful and have a very strong syndicate. They influence rules, regulations, policies and examinations. The bitter truth is that school mafias do not want one nation-one education board, coaching mafias do not want one nation-one syllabus, and book mafias do not want NCERT books in all schools. That is why the uniform education system up to the 12th standard has not been implemented yet."?

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The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has, however, opposed the idea of uniform syllabus for the entire country since a uniform curriculum across India may not adequately consider local language and context.?

Secondly, the one curriculum, one nation policy can be expensive to implement since it will require the development of new textbooks and teaching materials, as well as the training of teachers.?

India is still far from implementing a 'One Nation, One Syllabus' policy.However, it could be a valuable tool for improving education in India, given the policy is implemented in a fair and equitable manner.

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