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In a new attempt to revamp school education, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced that it will add Vedic Mathematics to NCERT books for Classes 6 to 8 from the session 2025-26. It will be implemented in all state-government schools in the state.

Vedic maths, renowned for its quick and simple modes of calculations, will now officially become part of the school curriculum. It's being incorporated as a way to sharpen students' numerical skills, dispel maths phobia, and bring Indian knowledge systems back to the mainstream -- exactly as the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) had envisioned.

TRAINING TEACHERS, CHANGING TEXTBOOKS

In order to give effect to this change, the teachers will be specially trained in Vedic maths techniques. The revised NCERT maths books will have new chapters on these techniques.

The focus will be placed on practical shortcuts based on 16 sutras and 13 sub-sutras provided by Swami Bharati Krishna Tirtha Ji in the early 20th century.

"It is not just a method of calculation, but also a renaissance in culture," said senior educationist Dr RK Mishra. Experts believe that this will enhance speed as well as accuracy in mathematical problem-solving, especially for those who are not good in maths.

A PILOT MOVE THAT OTHER STATES MAY FOLLOW

The NEP 2020 encourages curriculum flexibility and provincial adaptation. It permits states more freedom to include local knowledge, languages, and cultural context.

While NCERT produces uniform textbooks for schools following the CBSE or other centrally-aligned boards, its state-level counterpart is the SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training) which can alter or supplement NCERT books in terms of local educational policies.

The UP SCERT is introducing Vedic Maths as a fresh module in the NCERT curriculum implementation of the state.

This is a part of a broader initiative by the UP government to follow NEP 2020 through a focus on Indian traditions in modern education. If the experiment succeeds, other states can also introduce Vedic maths in school education.

Reports of children in tribal regions walking long and perilous forest trails to reach school are still not a rarity. In a bid to rectify this situation and ensure greater access to schools in these regions, the Tribal Welfare Department will soon start running 23 micro vans catering to 56 primary schools in six districts.

These vans will service tribal regions of Tiruchy, Dharmapuri, Salem, Kallakurichi, Erode, and the Nilgiris. The scheme, aimed at benefiting more than 2,000 children, has been initiated following the many challenges faced by students in going to school on a daily basis, such as no dependable transport and rough terrain.

"One of the problems we have noted in tribal regions is that students tend not to come back to school immediately after long weekends or term breaks. This issue continues despite all tribal schools having boarding facilities," officials said.

"Harsh weather conditions and safety issues along forest routes make the situation even worse. The same result in students progressively dropping out or staying away for long periods, which impacts their learning very badly."

The government order was recently released for the purchase of these micro vans, and `3.6 crore was sanctioned. A pilot project was undertaken last academic year, and four schools in Kalvarayan Hills of Kallakurichi district were covered by micro vans. The pilot scheme brought considerable improvement in attendance among students and thus the initiative was expanded, as per the government order.

"We have created clusters of schools located close to each other which can be reached using a single van. The plan has been so formulated that it reaches the maximum number of kids possible," said a government official.

Operations of the vans will start in the next two months. They will be operated using the assistance of NGOs in these regions, officials said.

After protests against 'imposing' Hindi, Maharashtra government on Sunday revoked its new notification regarding the three-language scheme and ruled that it would constitute a new committee in order to revisit the scheme once again and re-draft it.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared that the government did it during the cabinet meeting despite opposition to the government initiative to make Hindi a third language in schools.

"Under our present government, it has been decided that a committee will be formed to be led by Dr Narendra Jadhav on the modalities of the implementation of the three-language policy. We will proceed as per the committee report," Fadnavis told media persons.

We are withdrawing the current orders on three-language policy. All will be taken care of by this committee. Marathi is a median for us, he added.

Controversy came when the Mahayuti government's April guideline declared that Hindi would be automatically declared as the third language from Class 1 to Class 5 in English medium schools and Marathi medium schools in implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 at primary levels.

Political, social and cultural parties had opposed the move in vociferous protests. Amidst opposition pressure, Fadnavis made a clarification that Hindi will not be imposed and students can choose any one of the state languages as third language.

The government earlier this month had released a fresh order that Hindi would "ordinarily" be the third language. The order had provided, however, an option to schools to teach an additional Indian language if a batch of more than 20 students wished to study it. Schools could either hire a teacher or provide online courses for the subjects.

Despite having the policy modified, opposition parties and campaigners have decried it, claiming the government is forcing Hindi in lieu of the local languages and cultural diversity.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and its head Raj Thackeray conducted large-scale protests against the policy and a call went out to Marathi speakers to protest on the streets.

Protests escalated to the extent that even Raj Thackeray went to the door of his cousin, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, in an effort to mobilize a combined protest in Mumbai against "imposition of Hindi."

In the remote Solubongu village of Andhra Pradesh, school is not a location—it's a test of will, perseverance, and grit. Every day, children from 16 tribal families wade through the Raiwada canal on a boat and walk nearly 4 kilometers through hilly forest terrain to reach their school in Tamarabba village.

This horrific daily journey, chronicled in the present issue of Get Real India, reveals the stark educational inequalities that persist in large parts of India's tribal and rural areas. Lacking even a motorable road, a bridge, or a local school to their name, the education of these children is bought at the cost of bodily safety and Herculean physical toil.

The children, as young as six years old, daily encounter slippery paths, merciless wildlife, and unreliable climatic conditions all for the sake of accessing basic education. Despite several villagers' appeals, the state is apathetic and has not come up with concrete infrastructure projects to ease the children's journey.

"It is not a question of a long walk," explained one local mother. "They cross a canal in shaky boats, and there is no safety gear. Every day we worry—will our children come back in one piece?"

The plight of Solubongu's children indicates the urgent need for school facilities and transport infrastructure in remote pockets. Activists and the village leadership are insisting that the Andhra Pradesh government open a primary school in the village, or at least construct a bridge across the Raiwada canal to reduce the risks.

As India pushes digital classrooms and enhanced education, Solubongu's tribal children keep battling for access to blackboards and basic school benches. Their resilience is a sharp reminder that although policy promises inclusive education, implementation remains behind in the nation's most rural areas.

Inclusion of Zumba dance in school curriculum by the Kerala state government has been a controversial one with various Muslim groups vouching strong opposition against the action. The groups feel that the move "degrades educational standards" and goes against societal cultural and moral principles.

Kerala Education Department had suggested Zumba as a part of state and aided school's co-curricular physical education programme to keep the students fit. Islamic bodies, including learned clerics and community leaders, argue that incorporation of Zumba, a Latin-American dance to keep oneself fit, is "inappropriate for school-going children" and brings values contrary to conservative societal culture.

Critic

The opponents questioned the "immodest nature" of Zumba exercises and put under scrutiny why it was appropriate for a serious learning institution. They asked the government to nullify the decision, referring to other physical exercises that are "more reflective of the local ethos and moral standards."

"The education system must never be a platform for dissemination of Western dance forms unrelated to our tradition," said a spokesperson for a leading Muslim group. "Physical fitness is good, but not at the cost of our moral fiber."

The furore has evoked a controversy across the state. While health professionals and liberal educators welcome the change as a step towards wholesome well-being, the right-wing establishment perceives it as another exercise in foisting Western cultural values on Indian children. Zumba lovers are of the opinion that the dance system fosters physical fitness, mental joy, and self-esteem, particularly in girls, and cannot be viewed in religious or moral terms.

The Kerala Education Department so far has declined to make any official comments on the backlash. The state is also likely to discuss whether to modify the program or allow schools to choose whether they want to implement Zumba-based classes, sources added.

It has set the growing fight between cultural conservatism and new education reforms in stark relief, reigniting controversy over secularism, physical education, and cultural sensitivities in Indian schools.

The Manipuri ancient day martial art Thang-Ta is receiving a fillip as the Government of Manipur's Department of Art and Culture has taken the forward step in popularizing and preserving the ancient warrior school by including it in the school syllabus.

In order to make its education effective and speed it up, the government established a "Committee for the Formulation of Common Syllabus of Thang-Ta." It is manned by expert members including veteran Thang-Ta masters, state sports authorities, and officers of education department at least Padma Shri awardee N. Khelchandra Singh, Manipur's culture living legend, as chairman.

Developed from ancient Meitei folk performance, literally "sword and spear" Thang-Ta is rather a war skill drill with religious teaching and Manipuri war path and art custom. Performed in days of yore both as war art on the field and religious ritual dance, it is today rediscovered and relearned in schools and playgrounds.

Inclusion of Thang-Ta in school syllabus is being considered as a culture revolution, wherein the student gets an opportunity to be rooted to his culture and derives physical strength, discipline, and mental acuteness. It also provides him with a feeling of pride and identification, particularly in a state which is famous for its cultural richness.

Savant-teachers and cultural historians welcomed the initiative with warm arms, reminding us that by bringing ancient arts into the school syllabus not only is the past preserved but models of learning outside the academic mainstream are produced.

Day and night, Syllabus committee works to develop age-based training modules, certificates, and courses for teachers so that Thang-Ta can be imparted with dignity and authenticity it deserves.