Published on November 07, 2025
Delhi, India
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has unveiled Ganita Prakash, Part 2, the Class 7 Mathematics textbook for 2025-26, placing ancient India’s mathematical ingenuity at the heart of its curriculum. Released amid the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s push for indigenous knowledge systems, this edition traces core concepts like algebra and integers back to luminaries such as Brahmagupta and Bhaskaracharya, challenging Eurocentric narratives and fostering cultural pride among students.
- Core Focus: Chapters on integers, algebra, and geometry explicitly credit Indian origins, using historical examples to teach modern problem-solving.
- Launch Context: Builds on Part 1 (earlier 2025 release) and aligns with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023, emphasizing interdisciplinary learning rooted in India’s heritage.ncert.nic.in
- Student Reach: Targets over 25 million Class 7 learners in CBSE-affiliated schools, integrating Sanskrit treatises with interactive exercises for engaging pedagogy.
This overhaul transforms math classes from abstract drills into narratives of national legacy, inspiring a generation to view algebra not as a foreign import but as a homegrown innovation.
Background: From Colonial Shadows to Indigenous Spotlight
For decades, Indian school textbooks sidelined the subcontinent’s mathematical forebears, attributing developments like algebra to Western or Arabic scholars under colonial historiographies. The pre-2025 Class 7 math book, for instance, omitted references to ancient Indian texts, perpetuating a “skewed” view of global math evolution. NEP 2020’s mandate for “Indian Knowledge Systems” (IKS) prompted this correction, drawing from Vedic-era Sulba-Sutras to medieval masterpieces.
- Historical Oversights: Colonial education emphasized Greek and European lineages, marginalizing India’s role despite Arabic scholars’ 8th-century translations of Indian works that birthed terms like “algebra” from al-jabr (restoration of balance).indianexpress.com
- Key Milestones: Brahmagupta’s 7th-century Brahmasphutasiddhanta introduced zero’s arithmetic and negative number rules; Bhaskara II’s 12th-century Lilavati and Bijaganita advanced quadratic solutions and symbolic notation.
- Pre-Reform Gaps: Earlier NCERT editions focused on rote formulas without contextual history, leading to a 20-25% disengagement rate in math among middle-schoolers (per 2024 surveys).
By embedding these stories, the textbook revives a lineage where Indian ideas seeded global advancements, from Al-Khwarizmi’s 825 CE treatise to Renaissance Europe.
Key Features and Curriculum Integrations
Ganita Prakash, Part 2 weaves history seamlessly into lessons, using visuals, puzzles, and real-world applications to demystify ancient methods. Chapters are redesigned for accessibility, blending theory with practice while honoring original sources.
- Integers Chapter: Illustrates Brahmagupta’s rules for positive/negative operations (e.g., debt as negative wealth) with adapted problems, like calculating gains/losses in ancient trade.bhaskarenglish.in
- Algebra Chapter: Explores bijaganita (seed-science) origins, featuring Brahmagupta’s letter-based unknowns and Bhaskara’s symbolic examples, such as solving x2+1=0x^2 + 1 = 0x2+1=0 via cyclic methods.
- Geometry Chapter (Constructions and Tilings): Draws from Sulba-Sutras for Vedic altar designs, teaching rope-based perpendiculars and Pythagorean approximations predating Euclid by centuries.
- Pedagogical Tools: Includes QR codes for audio recitations of Sanskrit verses, timelines of Indian mathematicians, and group activities linking heritage to AI-era coding.
These elements ensure the 200+ page book is not a relic showcase but a dynamic tool, with 40% of content now interdisciplinary (math + history/culture).
Government Commitments: Quotes and Policy Vision
NCERT’s leadership champions this as a decolonization of knowledge, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for Atmanirbhar Bharat in education. The initiative reflects a 15% budget increase for IKS integration in 2025-26.
- NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani: “The purpose is threefold: to present history accurately, to make learning more interdisciplinary, and to instil pride and inspiration in students,” critiquing colonial distortions as “skewed.”educationpost.in
- Historian Dhruv Raina: “Arab scholars were profoundly influenced by Indian mathematics. They improvised upon these methods to create what we consider algebra today,” noting syntheses from Greek, Indian, and Chinese traditions.educationpost.in
- NEP Synergies: Supports 100% IKS coverage by 2030, with teacher training modules on ancient texts; early pilots show 30% improved retention in heritage-linked lessons.
These endorsements position the textbook as a cultural corrective, fostering equity by highlighting underrepresented Southern Asian contributions.
Analysis: Impacts, Debates, and Future Horizons
This edition heralds a paradigm shift, potentially boosting math proficiency by 15-20% through narrative-driven learning, as seen in similar IKS pilots in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It counters historical erasure—e.g., crediting India for zero’s operational rules, absent in Greek texts—while inspiring STEM equity for girls via tales of scholars like Lilavati (Bhaskara’s daughter).
- Strengths and Gains: Enhances cultural confidence, with 70% of educators reporting heightened student curiosity; aligns with global decolonization trends in curricula (e.g., UNESCO’s IKS frameworks).
- Challenges and Critiques: Risks over-romanticizing history, potentially diluting analytical rigor if ancient methods overshadow modern proofs—echoing 2025 UGC draft concerns on employability in a global job market. Some academics warn of “saffronisation” biases, urging balanced sourcing to avoid politicization.360info.orgtimesofindia.indiatimes.com
- Diverse Perspectives: Proponents hail it as restorative justice; critics advocate hybrid models blending IKS with international benchmarks to prevent insularity.
- Projections: Could influence higher ed, with IITs incorporating bijaganita modules; long-term, it may narrow India’s math PISA gaps by embedding pride in problem-solving.
Ultimately, its success depends on implementation—teacher upskilling and feedback loops—to harmonize heritage with innovation.
