The Modi-led government’s recent revision of NCERT textbooks


The Modi-led government’s recent revision of NCERT textbooks marks a clear effort to correct colonial-era distortions in the history of mathematics. In the new Class 7 “Ganita Prakash” (Part 2), ancient Indian contributions to algebra and geometry are foregrounded—something largely absent in older editions. 

Key changes include:


Algebra (“Bijaganita”): The textbook credits Brahmagupta (7th century CE) for formulating rules for multiplying and dividing positive and negative numbers in his work Brahmasphutasiddhanta—a foundational insight in the development of arithmetic and algebra. 

Symbolic Expression: It shows that ancient Indian mathematicians used letters to represent unknowns—one of the earliest forms of symbolic algebra. 


Transmission to the Islamic World: The text links Indian algebra to Al-Khwarizmi, noting how Indian ideas influenced his seminal work Hisab al-jabr wal-muqabala. 


Geometry via Sulba-Sutras: It introduces geometric methods from the Sulba Sutras, such as constructing perpendicular bisectors with ropes (used in Vedic altar construction), to show how geometry was applied in ancient Indian ritual architecture. 


By doing this, the NCERT is aligning with NEP 2020’s emphasis on Indian Knowledge Systems and aiming to provide a “correct history” rather than a Eurocentric narrative. 



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