In a fresh controversy surrounding textbook content, the Communist-led government in Kerala has come under fire for unilaterally inserting politically loaded topics—including resort politics, the Governor’s powers, and the Election Commission’s Electoral Bonds policy—into the Class 10 Social Studies curriculum. The changes were reportedly made in July 2025, without any formal discussion or approval from the Curriculum Committee, the statutory body authorised to clear such revisions.
T. Anoopkumar, State General Secretary of the National Teachers’ Union (NTU), stated that the Kerala School Education Curriculum Revision process had been operating without any stress or strain. However, during a recent meeting of the State Curriculum Steering Committee, individuals with vested interests allegedly took the opportunity to smuggle in a political agenda by introducing controversial changes to the Social Studies textbook for Standard 10.
Changes made to the textbook are believed to be deliberately designed to develop hatred among students towards certain political parties. For instance, the inclusion of content on Electoral Bonds is viewed as biased and politically motivated. Minister V. Sivankutti had stated last month that lessons regarding the Governor’s constitutional powers would be introduced. However, the newly added lessons now also include Resort Politics—a topic irrelevant to Kerala’s political landscape. These additions were reportedly made on the instructions of Minister Sivankutti and without the mandatory consultation with the Curriculum Committee.
Critics allege this is part of a long-standing pattern by Communist regimes—whether in power or not—to infiltrate academia and distort educational narratives to suit their ideological agenda.
The NTU leader said that his organisation welcomes the inclusion of lessons on the Governor, recognising it as a significant constitutional post. He added that if the government provides students with an opportunity to study the Constitution during Emergency @ 50—a period that reminds us of the darkest days of Indian democracy—it would be a positive move.
However, right-thinking individuals strongly oppose the inclusion of unwanted and irrelevant lessons in the curriculum, which they believe stem from the political motives of the ruling CPM. These politically charged topics have been inserted under the title “The Great Indian Democratic System: A Model for the Entire World.” The NTU leader warned that such anti-democratic tendencies would be challenged both legally and democratically.
Furthermore, he emphasised that curriculum changes should be discussed and approved by the Curriculum Committee, not the Steering Committee. He also pointed out that this new move appears to be a continuation of the Bharat Mata controversy recently stirred by Agricultural Minister P. Prasad and Education Minister V. Sivankutti, which involved the State Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. Ultimately, these changes are likely to become tools that misguide future generations.
