NCERT clothes Mohenjo-daro’s nude figurine ‘Dancing Girl’ in textbook:Historians call it censorship of an iconic bronze statue excavated in 1926

The image of the famous bronze Dancing Girl statue discovered during the excavation of Mohenjo-Daro has been published in an altered form in an NCERT textbook. In the new image, the statue’s torso has been covered, and its colour has also been changed. According to a report, the image appears in the first chapter, ‘History of Arts’, of the Class 9 textbook Madurima. While the original statue is depicted with its upper body uncovered, the version published in the book covers the area below the shoulders. The statue’s original form, which has been reproduced in publications for the past 25 years, had never previously been altered. The textbook is part of NCERT’s new Arts Education Series, developed under the National Education Policy (NEP) and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF). So far, textbooks for Classes 1 to 9 have been released. Historians say it is censorship Historian Michel Danino described the changes made to the image as unfair to students. He said that covering the statue’s entire torso amounts to censorship and creates a version of the statue that does not actually exist. Danino also questioned whether students would now be prevented from viewing the original statue displayed at the National Museum, as well as other semi-nude or nude historical sculptures. NCERT says there was no specific reason When asked about the alteration, NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani told The Indian Express that there was no specific reason behind the change. He said that the Dancing Girl statue is shown in its original form in the Class 6 Social Science textbook and remains one of the most important discoveries of the Harappan civilisation. Objection was raised over the image earlier as well Historian Michel Danino said in an interview with The Indian Express in May that NCERT had earlier objected to placing the Dancing Girl statue’s image on the first page of the Indus Valley Civilisation chapter. At the time, Danino was the head of the Textbook Development Committee for NCERT’s new Class 6 Social Science textbook. According to Danino, some people felt the statue’s nude form could lead to controversy. The image was later moved from the opening page of the chapter to a smaller space on an inside page, but it was not removed completely. Danino said that if the image of the Dancing Girl is considered unsuitable for children, then they should also not be allowed to visit the National Museum, where the original statue is displayed. 3 important facts about the statue