The newly revised Class 6 NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) social science textbook introduces the concept of “madhya rekha,” an ancient Indian prime meridian that predates the Greenwich meridian.
| Relevancy for Prelims: Prime Meridian,Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), Sarasvati river, iron pillar at Qutub Minar, the Sanchi Stupa, the monolithic temples of Mahabalipuram, Ajanta cave paintings, kingdoms of Ashoka and Chandragupta Maurya, including Chanakya’s role and his Arthashastra etc.
Relevancy for Mains: Prime Meridian,Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), Practical Application, A Ajanta cave paintings, kingdoms of Ashoka and Chandragupta Maurya, including Chanakya’s role and his Arthashastra etc. |
Changes in the Class 6 NCERT Book
- India had a prime meridian of its own: Many centuries before Europe, India had a prime meridian of its own
- Madhya rekhā: It was called madhya rekhā (or ‘middle line’) and passed through the city of Ujjayinī (today Ujjain), which was a reputed center for astronomy over many centuries.
- Varāhamihira: He is a famous astronomer, lived and worked there some 1,500 years ago. Indian astronomers were aware of the concepts of latitude and longitude, including
- the need for a zero or prime meridian.
- The Ujjayinī meridian became a reference for calculations in all Indian astronomical texts.
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Prime Meridian (0°)
- The prime meridian, located at 0 degrees longitude, serves as the reference meridian for all other longitudes.
- The prime meridian famously passes through Greenwich, a district in London, and is the foundation of the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
- Total Number of Meridians: Earth is divided into 360 meridians, forming a complete circle around the planet.
- Global Passage of the Prime Meridian: The prime meridian passes through several countries and regions, including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Algeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Togo.
- Role in Timekeeping: Longitudes play a pivotal role in determining local time across the globe.
- By dividing the Earth into time zones based on longitudes, longitudes have created a standardized system of timekeeping that helps maintain consistency in global timekeeping practices.
- Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): It is the mean solar time of the prime meridian, which passes through the Royal Greenwich Observatory in England.
- It serves as a reference point for timekeeping.
- Practical Application: As you move eastward across time zones, you add time to your clock because you are moving ahead of the prime meridian.
- Conversely, when moving westward across time zones, you subtract time from your clock since you are lagging behind the prime meridian.
- This system of time zones helps keep activities and schedules coordinated across regions.
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- Sarasvati river: The textbook, titled “Exploring Society India and Beyond,” accentuates the “Sarasvati” river’s significance to early Indian civilisation, identifying it as the seasonal “Ghaggar”in India and “Hakra” in Pakistan, while referring to the Harappan civilisation as the “Sindhu-Sarasvati” civilisation.
- Not Highlighting Caste System: Incorporates information on the Vedas but excludes references to the caste system and the preclusion of women and Shudras from studying these scriptures:
- It states, “”Many professions are mentioned in the vedic text such asagriculturist, weaver, potter, builder, carpenter, healer, dancer, barber, priest, etc.”
- Previous textbook: It addressed the categorization of people into varnas and the exclusion of Shudras and women from ritual participation and Vedic study.
- Eliminated Four Chapters: The new book eliminates four chapters from the previous textbook that encompassed the kingdoms of Ashoka and Chandragupta Maurya, including Chanakya’s role and his Arthashastra, as well as the Gupta, Pallava, and Chalukya dynasties, and Kalidasa’s works.
- King Ashoka is mentioned only once in the new textbook’s timeline.
- Truncated & Expunged Portions: Furthermore, a chapter on “Villages, Towns, and Trade,” which discussed tools, coins, irrigation, crafts, and trade, has been truncated
- References to historical sites such as the iron pillar at Qutub Minar, the Sanchi Stupa, the monolithic temples of Mahabalipuram, and the Ajanta cave paintings have been expunged.
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July 22, 2024
