NCERT Removes Controversial Map from Class 8 Textbook After Jaisalmer Row

After receiving criticism for showing Jaisalmer as being in the Maratha Empire, the National Council of Educational Research and Training has decided to remove a controversial map from its Class 8 Social Science textbook for the 2025-26 academic session.

This matter came up in August 2025 when Chaitanya Raj Singh, a member of the royal family of Jaisalmer, protested the authorities to fix the factually wrong representation, he had termed it as such.

Singh pointed out that there is no historical record of Maratha domination or influence in Jaisalmer. So he stated that such portrayals not only mislead the regions history but also degrade its legacy.

In fact, he had reached out to the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and requested him to make changes immediately.

Since the arguments, NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) has removed the map from the digital edition of the textbook. This step goes along with other changes that are made for the new academic year.

The decision has been welcomed by local stakeholders and historians, who saw the former portrayal as deceptive.

Though the update has been seen as a good move, some experts and local officials have demanded more measures.

Chaitanya Raj Singh supported the change but stressed the necessity of correct information in schools, pointing out that textbooks are very influential in forming students' knowledge of history.

Likewise, the main figures of the heritage institutions of Jaisalmer have also requested NCERT to make a public apology as the earlier map deeply offended the people.

This event sheds light on the continuous monitoring of the school content and the significance of including historically correct versions of the events, figures, and places in the textbooks.

While India is still modernizing its academic content, the case points out the necessity of thorough academic scholarship so that there is no room for such disputes in the future.