Newton With Bhaskaracharya And Vedas Meet Big Bang: Inside Maharashtra’s Revised Textbooks

Vedic accounts of creation now appear alongside the Big Bang theory, Bhaskaracharya II joins Newton in a lesson on gravity, and passages explaining caste inequality have disappeared from Maharashtra’s revised Class 6 textbooks, The Indian Express reported.

The changes span history, geography and science books introduced this academic year by Balbharati, the state’s textbook bureau, under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. A comparison by The Indian Express found expanded coverage of ancient Indian scholarship and contemporary achievements, alongside deletions concerning caste, priestly privilege and foreign invasion.

Vedas Enter Geography, Ujjain Joins Greenwich

The geography textbook now traces Indian geographical knowledge through the Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads and Suryasiddhant. It presents the Earth as “Saptadweep”, connecting seven ancient divisions with modern regions stretching from Europe to Japan.

The book equates Kshir Sagar with the Indian Ocean and Kshar Samudra with the Arctic. It also places a Vedic account of the universe’s creation alongside the Big Bang theory.

Where the previous edition identified Greenwich as the prime meridian, the revised book adds: “Ancient Indian astronomers considered Ujjayani (Ujjain) as the central point of the Earth and proposed the concept of base longitude for the first time.”

Students are also introduced to ancient time units, including ghatika and muhurt.

Gravity Lesson Adds Bhaskaracharya

The science chapter on force and pressure opens its discussion of gravitation by noting that Newton is the scientist many associate with the subject. It then says Bhaskaracharya II wrote around 950 years ago in Siddhant Shiromani that “the earth pulls objects towards itself”.

Another section credits Aryabhata with first explaining that the Earth revolves around the Sun. The textbook states that “the time measured with modern instruments and the time calculated by Aryabhatta long ago are exactly the same”.

Charak, described as “the founder of Ayurveda”, appears through his classification of animals. A chapter on diet draws on the Rigveda’s advice about adapting food and routines to the seasons. None of these references appeared in the earlier science textbook, according to The Indian Express.

Caste Inequality And Priestly Control Passages Removed

The old history book explained that varnas were initially based on occupation and later became hereditary. It stated: “This gave rise to castes. The caste system led to inequality in the society.”

That explanation has been replaced with a single sentence: “Vedic society was structured into four Varnas : Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra.”

A paragraph describing priests’ exclusive knowledge of yajna rituals has also been deleted. The earlier passage said restrictions hardened over time and birth, rather than achievement, determined social position.

The revised chapter instead discusses Vedic values, moral duties and nature worship, stating: “The Vedic people performed sacrifices (Yajnas) and worshipped nature.”

Harappan Account Changes; Sushruta and Chanakya Get More Space

“Invasions by foreign tribes” no longer figures among the causes of the Harappan civilisation’s decline. The revised explanation cites shifting river courses, natural calamities and declining trade with Sumerian civilisation.

Ancient medicine receives expanded coverage. A brief reference to Sushruta has become a detailed section, including his method of reconstructing the nose. Calling him the “Father of Surgery”, the book says his techniques “were later studied and adopted by Europeans in the 18th century”.

Chanakya’s earlier one-sentence mention has grown into a passage on the Arthashastra and his role in Chandragupta Maurya’s rise.

The discussion of women in the early Vedic period now names Lopamudra, Ghosha, Gargi, Maitreyi and Apala, compared with three scholars previously. It says women could study the Vedas before society became “increasingly patriarchal” and women “were reduced to a secondary position”.

Anna Mani, Chipko And Space Missions Added

The science book also expands its coverage of modern India.

Instead of merely directing students to the ISRO and NASA websites, it describes Chandrayaan-1, Mangalyaan, Chandrayaan-3, Aditya-L1 and the NASA-ISRO NISAR satellite, launched in July 2025.

Meteorologist Anna Mani makes her first appearance as the “Weather Woman of India”, with an account of her work developing forecasting instruments.

“Because of Anna Mani’s contributions, India’s dependence on other countries for weather forecasting was reduced,” the textbook states.

Gaura Devi’s role in the Chipko movement has also been included. The book recounts how women and activists embraced trees and declared: “First cut us before cutting the trees.”

Maharashtra Revisions Follow A Series Of NCERT Textbook Changes

Maharashtra’s textbook overhaul follows a series of changes to NCERT books under NEP 2020, with additions and deletions across history, political science and science drawing public debate.

Most recently, NCERT introduced the 1975–77 Emergency in its new Class 9 social science textbook, Understanding Society: India and Beyond. The period was previously covered in detail in Class 12 political science.

Earlier revisions reduced coverage of the Mughal Empire in Class 12 history, including sections on administration, courts and cultural contributions. References to organisations banned after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination and material concerning Nathuram Godse’s ideological background were also edited during textbook rationalisation.

In science, the removal of Darwin’s theory of evolution from parts of the Class 10 curriculum drew objections from scientists and educationists.

NCERT says its revisions update teaching material, reduce academic burden and align the curriculum with NEP 2020. Critics argue that some changes reshape historical and political narratives.