Covid hits syllabus, Telangana axes chapters on last Nizam, GST

HYDERABAD: The last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, may be integral to the region's history. But Intermediate students of humanities in Telangana will not be tested on his contribution in this year's final exam.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) may be the most contentious issue between Telangana government and the Centre at the moment. Again, the topic too will be skipped in the exam as the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education reduced the course load for students amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Following the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) move, the Telangana board had constituted subject committees to reduce the syllabus by 30% to make up for the four months of the academic year lost in the Covid-19 lockdown.While the reduction in science subjects was based on CBSE recommendations, the subject committees worked on reduction of syllabi for humanities and languages.
Deletions won’t do any harm: Govt
Among other reductions, second year students will not study demonetisation, share of public and private sector in gross domestic product, NABARD, major industries in India, tourism, banking and space sectors, objectives of World Trade Oganisation in economics.
Will these deletions affect students’ understanding of the important topics? The state government is certain there will be no harm done, but academics have not made up their mind.“Recent developments in the country such as demonetisation and GST should not have been deleted from the syllabus. Instead, older topics such industry policies should have been deleted,” said Madhusudan Reddy, economics lecturer at Government Junior College.
Apart from Osman Ali Khan, details of the sixth Nizam Mir Mahaboob Ali Khan, non-cooperation protest during Telangana movement and the post-Kakatiya period have also been deleted. In political science, second year students will skip electoral reforms, e-governance, Right to Information Act-2005, terrorism and anti-terrorism Acts.
“Each of these topics are consequential. Students will study these topics at the undergraduate and post-graduate level and hence 30% deletion of topics should not harm their academics much,” said Prof D Ravindra Yadav, political science professor at Osmania University.
First year students will not study Vedic period, post-Maurya era, later Mughals and decline of Mughal empire, contribution of Jainism to Indian culture, Minto Morley reforms, Quit India movement as part of history syllabus. “I have approved what subject experts recommended. This is a temporary move for one year. The final exams which will be held in March 2021 will be based on 70% syllabus. Textbooks for revised syllabi are available,” said Omar Jaleel, secretary, TSBIE.