The book, written by Mukesh Bhardwaj, advocate Delhi High Court, is
claimed to be an 'Exercise Book for Constitution and Social Science Olympiad'. It was received by social science teachers in many Delhi Government Schools in order to 'help' students prepare for the said private competitive exam (scheduled to be held on 3rd September, as per Vishwaroop Olympiad on The Constitution of India and Social Sciences, Circular No.DE.15(305)/PSB/2020/Pt.FileIII/6393-6397 dated 17.07.2023).
The Preface says that the book 'has been prepared on the basis of deliberations on the Constitution of India and to meet the objectives of the National Education Policy 2020..' Its purpose is to 'explain...the actual relation between the pictures engraved on the original handwritten copy of our Constitution and the written contents of our Constitution...what kind of similarity do they have.' ..'the debates which took place inside the Constituent Assembly...are the sources by which the ancient Indian culture, advanced civilisation, developed knowledge or educational system should be given to the citizens and it was a matter of contemplation that what kind of India should be kept in front of the coming generations.' It tries to link up with the NEP in terms of its stated objectives towards 'unique art, language, tradition and knowledge..nation's pride, self-confidence, self-knowledge...' It further says that the 'purpose..is to provide help to the students who are prepared for 2nd National Vishwaroop's Olympiad being organized on the subject of "The Constitution and Social Science"...so that the students...can prepare for this competition..'Lastly, it submits that the 'questions and answers...have been written or drafted on the basis of the author's own imagination and all the literature related to ancient Indian civilization, knowledge and culture received or available through social media.'
The Preface is a precursor to the glaring contradictions between the declared inspiration behind the book and the alleged subject matter for the 'Olympiad', The Constitution and Social Sciences, for which the practice book is claimed to be designed. Yet, it must be said that the author's frankness and honesty shines through when he acknowledges that his personal imagination and social media are the sources for the contents of this book. This imprint is unambiguously revealed in many of the questions and answers in the book which are not just irrelevant to the stated theme of the said Olympiad but also full of biases and inaccuracies. It must have taken some higher 'wisdom' for the Directorate of Education of the GNCT of Delhi to allow such an Olympiad in the first place and then enable this guidebook into the jam-packed and suffocating calendar/schedule of its schools.
The Foreword is written by the Principal of Maharishi Balmiki College of Education, Delhi Government. It brings together terms, figures and themes across a wide spectrum of space-time, like Sanatan Dharma, Mahatma Gandhi, Ram Rajya, Rama, Ashoka, Immanuel Kant (references to whom are particularly disjointed and difficult to make sense of) and the Sages. Parts are quoted here to convey the tone:
"It [Sanatan] was created by Vidhata i.e. Brahma himself. Rama, Krishna, Gautama or any other great man are not its creators...India is a country of sages....Sanatan Dharma [is] superior and at the same time points to the imperfection and one-sided thinking of that culture of the West. Which requires proof for every piece of knowledge. In our country, the words of the sages are considered as evidence....the Almighty Brahman [presumably Brahma] is the God who establishes the constellations in the starry sky and establishes and operates the soul in our conscience....it seems that it [Constitution] has been composed keeping in mind the essence of our Sanatan Dharma's holy texts Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads, Gita, Ramayana.."
The Foreword concludes by narrating two episodes from the experience of Dr. Ambedkar's association with the making of the Constitution and the forming of free India's first Cabinet, respectively. In the former, his decision to resign from the Constituent Assembly is shown to have been respectfully but firmly declined by Vallabhbhai Patel (referred to as Patel Saheb) in the national interest and in the latter Gandhi is said to have strongly advised Jawaharlal Nehru, against his original decision, to include Dr. Ambedkar in his Cabinet. These narratives, typically unsubstantiated by any references, are true to the discourses which, on the one hand, appropriate Ambedkar and blunt the threat the memory and politics of his figure, as the adversary and challenger to the hegemonic Brahminical order, represents to the interests of the ruling castes, and, on the other hand, vilify the character of Jawaharlal Nehru, the bete noire of India's regressive rumour mills.
The book includes the national anthem as it is adopted and sung, that is the first stanza from the original 5 stanzas of the song; but it gives in full the national song, not limiting to the only stanza which has been adopted and is sung.
Samples from the book (Correct answers, as per the book, are in bold; our immediately following comments in italics.)
Chapter 1 National Symbols of India
The introduction mentions Shanti Niketan, the Constituent Assembly and Nandlal Bose in the context of national symbols in general and the art work on the margins of the first copy of the Constitution in particular. It goes on to claim that 'Ashoka was the Chakravarti emperor of India [whose] empire was spread over today's Afghanistan, Nepal, Burma, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Iraq.' Such statements are rather sweeping and their veracity is also doubtful, to say the least. Not only were the Iraq and Sri Lankan landmasses never a part of the Ashokan empire, scholars have also come to different conclusions about the area(s) it held sway over (including wrt parts of today's India which the empire never controlled).
Q 160 Which religion has the symbolic importance of Banyan Tree?
Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Both (a) and (b)
A selective and inaccurate reading of the symbol and religions.
Q 169 If parrot is known as eagle, eagle is known as peacock, peacock is known as swallow, swallow is known as sparrow, then our National Bird is known as
What a totally absurd question, especially in the context of the alleged topic! An insult to students' intelligence.
Q 174 Which bird is the most exquisite bird in the world because of its vibrant feathers and colours?
Peacock, Sparrow, Swallow, All of the above
Another absurd and totally subjective question which is based on a very narrow knowledge about birds from different parts of India, leave alone the world.
Q 216 Which Naga/Snake is having a gem Nagamani on his head?
King Cobra [!]
All science going down the drain in the name of the Olympiad, Social Science, the Constitution and ancient India!
Leaving out the numerous absurd and silly ones, around 30 questions out of the 244 in this chapter have a religious or mythological bearing.
Chapter 2 Preamble to the Constitution of India
The introduction makes the misleading and unfounded claim that the bull, the elephant and the horse on the margins of the first page of this chapter in the original copy are [the mythical creatures] nandi, airavat and uchchaihshravas, respectively. It further refers to their mythical origins, alluding to the story of the churning of the ocean.
Around 16 out of a total of 68 questions are tilted as above.
Chapter 3 Union of India
The introduction refers to the Indus Valley Civilization. It makes the accusatory claim that while Jawaharlal Nehru suggested India as the name of the country, Bharat was chosen as an alternative due to the disagreement expressed by members of the Constituent Assembly. It further makes the astounding statement that 'They all also believed that this country was created by the gods.' Ending in the same outlandish vein, it submits that the four articles in Part-1 of the Constitution are not accidental but in fact bear witness to the 'well planned vision of our leaders who framed our constitution' keeping in mind the 4 Vedas, 4 Purusharthas, 4 Yugas, 4 Ashramas, 4 Kumars, 4 Maths and the 4 directions!
Q 10 What does the name Bharat symbolise in the Bhagwat Gita?
India’s spiritual heritage
As per the website Holy Bhagavad Gita (https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/w/bharata), the word Bharat occurs 22 times in the text and always means, in one way or the other, 'the descendent of Bharat'.
Q 11 In which ancient text “The Bharat” is mentioned as the Land of the Aryans?
The Vedas
Based on and in turn likely to create confusion between references to Bharat as a tribe or a group of people inhabiting parts of the north of the peninsula, and Arya/Aryan itself as a term with multiple, leave alone contested, meanings.
Q 15 Which religion dominates in Bharat?
Hinduism
Can this declaration of 'domination' be taken as innocent?
Q 16 Which famous text of ancient India contains the essence of Bhartiya Culture and philosophy?
The Bhagwat Gita
A highly contested claim, to say the least, assuming and projecting an essence and then silencing various streams and contestations from past till date.
Q 18 Which religion originated in Bharat?
Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, None of above
Apart from the obvious and conscious omissions in the options provided, the question attempts to specifically exclude people from at least two named religions and furthers their 'othering' in the minds of the readers/students.
Q 40 The first incarnation of Lord Vishnu to appear in Kali Yuga was the founder of which religion?
Buddhism
Not only is it a textually ambiguous if not an unverified statement, even if taken from the vast body of texts within the Hindu tradition, it also contradicts the understanding about the personhood of Gautam Buddha held by most Buddhists and schools/sects of Buddhism.
Q 63 One who desires powerful sex should worship?
Kamadeva
The import is questionable, particularly from the standpoint of the stated theme of the Olympiad.
Q 64 For good fortune one should worship?
Laxmi Devi
Ditto
Questions 64 to 75 relate to the need to worship specific deities for fulfilling various desires, including good bank balance, domination over others, sense gratification, good bank balance, good wife etc.
These questions, by validating or, at least, suggesting extra-sensory, fantastic and faith-based knowledge-claims, seem to discourage reason and the spirit of science.
Q 102 The word Shudra was first mentioned in which of the Vedas?
Rigveda
Though this fact is presented in the NCERT History textbooks as well, the uncritical and glorificatory representation of 'the ancient past' in this book gives us grounds to doubt the import of the question here. Is it a veiled attempt to seek originary justification for the term and the caste-system?
Q 113 In Vedic period Varna system was based on
Education, Birth, Occupation, Talent
The issue is open to research and hotly contested. Moreover, in such a situation, to pose and answer it in such terms is to seek and provide mutually convenient credibility to the period and the system.
Questions 148, 154, 159 and 165 ask about the respective planets ‘ruling’ the four directions.
Another case of faith-based and irrelevant knowledge-claims trumping reason and more universally accepted knowledge, which is what school education is supposed to be based upon and further.
Q 197 A henpecked man is compared to the
Monkey, Dog, Horse, Donkey
Complete lack of sensitivity to and familiarity with gender discourse. Not that any need is felt to mention the text which advances this thesis. What can be the purpose and rationale of providing this gem of information to the readers/students?
Questions 198 to 201 relate to theological beliefs such as the purpose of the human tongue (chanting the Vedic hymns), extra function of humans (religion), mission of life (going back to godhead) and ways to ‘perceive the Lord’ (one’s devotion and lord’s mercy).
None of these assertions, presented as absolute and undoubted facts, are universal or secular in nature. Indeed, all these statements draw from particularistic, metaphysical and theological assumptions or beliefs.
Nearly 200 out of the 212 questions of this chapter relate to religion or mythology. Given the title of the chapter, the absence of questions on the federal character of India’s constitution is glaring. Moreover, consistent with the usage in the rest of the book, the terms Hindu and Indian are used interchangeably, showing carelessness, if not a mischievous intent.
Chapter 4 Citizenship
The introduction, referring to the 'picture of a Gurukul of ancient times or Vedic period' drawn on the top of the page at the beginning of this part of the Constitution, goes on to say that these 'were places where students lived and took all kinds of education.' Then, stating that their having been run by sages is common knowledge, it refers to and names the seven sages known as Saptarishis and concludes with these words: 'this ancient Indian education system made India a world leader and every foreign student felt proud to get education in India.'
Questions 18, 20-25 provide absurd and obviously self-excluding options. For example, the options for the expectations from the citizens include disobeying laws, not paying taxes and harming the public property. Likewise, indifference to the environment, harming it and polluting it are given as the three options for citizens’ duties towards the environment.
Such a silly provision of alternative answers is an insult to the intelligence of students.
Q 42 Which were the residential places of learning?
Gurukuls, Universities, Viharas, Pathshalas
A blatant negation of the character and history of Buddhist Viharas.
Q 47 Who destroyed the Takshishila University?
Ashoka, Mahavira, Akbar, Babar
A completely false answer, including in terms of the basic facts of historical periods of the said destruction and the person condemned for it, which are separated by the small matter of more than 1000 years! But a true representation and evidence of the 'social media' sources and the over-eager agenda inspiring the author.
Q 128 Eklavya belonged to which clan or lineage?
Yadava, Nishada, Kaurava, Pandava
Nishada/Bhil, the communitarian backgrounds from which Eklavya is said to come from, have mostly been identified as Caste/Tribe rather than clans/lineage. This reference to his belongingness may be seen as an attempt to downplay and whitewash the message of caste hierarchy, exclusion and oppression in Eklavya's story.
Q 130 Eklavya story is often interpreted as a tale of
Overcoming adversity, Social injustice and discrimination, Sacrifice and loyalty, Divine intervention
An interpretation counter to that of social injustice and discrimination (an option made available but only, and, perhaps, precisely, to be discarded) which is the message subscribed to not just by vast sections of the varna-discriminated and oppressed (including but not restricted to the dalits and adivasis) today, but also affirmed by most scholarship about the Mahabharat.
Q 137 Sudama belonged to which social group?
Shudra, Vaishya, Kshatriya, Brahmin
Again, a disingenuous avoidance of the term caste, while firmly placing the favourable character in a vaunted position in the hierarchy.
Nearly 100 out of the 137 questions in this chapter relate to religion or mythology. The chapter fails to mention the discriminatory characteristic of the ancient Gurukul system, that the doors of formal education were closed to the 'shudras' and women.
Chapter 5 Fundamental Rights
The introduction emphasises 'the generous and fair personality of Shri Ram' by referring to the episodes of Nishadraj and Shabari from the Ramayana and describing 'Ram Rajya', in rather underwhelming but contemporarily politically resonant terms, as 'a paradigm of good governance'. It concludes by claiming that 'Shri Ram was a true protector of the rights of the people, treating all under him equally' and that 'the cultural, moral and political values of India and the personality and philosophy of life of Shri Ram are in consonance with our constitutional values.'
Q 19 What is the common goal of Fundamental Rights and Ram Rajya?
Creating a just and ideal society
A mere yet dangerous assertion, feebly drawn from a limited and reverential reading of the epic.
Questions 21, 23, 26-30 and 32 are on 'Ram Rajya', while those from 30 to 40 pertain to the Ramayana.
It is problematic to use an extra-legal, undefined, amorphous and contested idea to throw light on the concept of Fundamental Rights as enshrined in the Constitution. Moreover, this partial reading of the epic has been challenged and contested since ages, but more particularly as part of a self-conscious and organised project of resistance against Brahminical hegemony and for counter-assertion of identity and rights by the oppressed caste and adivasi groups over the last century and more.
In all, almost 65 out of the 90 questions in this chapter pertain to religion/mythology.
Chapter 6 Directive Principles of State Policy
The introduction refers to 'Lord Shri Krishna [as] a perfect man [who had] skills in the arts of every walk of life', a rough translation of his portrayal as having been accomplished in 'the 14 sciences and 64 forms of art'. It concludes by claiming that 'through the knowledge of Gita, we can make our citizens feel that the state will try to make welfare policy for every section' and distills the lesson of 'the responsibility of every citizen to believe in the state [what happened to God!] and the state will try to do whatever is best for them.' [Poor state! What more can it do!]
Q 36 Which of the following is a commonality between the Bhagwad Gita and the Directive Principles of State Policy?
Focus on the welfare of the masses and marginalized
Again, an assertion without textual or other evidence. It may indeed be contrary to the main theme and message of the text of the Gita itself, which, as per most scholars within the religious tradition, is said to be the recognition of the true self and the dictum of action without expectation of reward/result.
Q 114 Vidura was cursed by_in his previous life to play the part of a sudra
Mundaka Muni
The implicit message seems to be relating the power of curses, and those who enjoyed that power, to the justificatory explanation behind someone coming to be born as a 'sudra'.
Q 125 Performing one's duties in accordance with his position in the society is called
Swadharma
Is this a hint towards accepting inequality and maintaining, even justifying, all kinds of hierarchies?
Almost 170 out of the 188 questions in this chapter are related to Krishna, the Mahabharat, Gita, Philosophical schools, Yoga and the Upanishads.
All in all, more than 60% of the questions from the book have nothing to do with the Constitution or the Social Sciences but relate to one, albeit the dominant, version within a singular religious tradition. The book is in line with recent attempts by sections of the regressive forces to draw attention to the pictures drawn on the margins of the pages of the original copy of the Constitution, using some of them selectively to make unsubstantiated, legally untenable, historically unsound and often outright silly claims in support of the thesis of the Hindu origins and character of India and the contemporary agenda of Hindutva. It is interesting to note that this proposition on their part has the potential to pose some difficulty to the broader and much more insidious agenda of vilifying and rejecting the Constitution altogether in order to supplant it with a document in line with the 'glorious, ancient traditions of this Holy land' to which the inevitably taking shape New India must re-turn. Of course, the chapters from the Constitution as represented in this book are chosen rather selectively, the basis not being the text but the pictures which allude to the epics or religious personae and thus suit the author's narrow and revisionist purpose.
Thus, it is no surprise that sections whose pages carry the pictures of not just Akbar and Tipu Sultan, but even those with the depictions of Gautam Buddha, Mahavir etc are conveniently ignored. (Scholars have drawn attention to the acute absences of representations from the southern and other parts of India, not to speak of the subaltern groups, in these drawings, pointing to the rather limited and exclusivist imagination of India held by the artists who worked on decorating the pages of the first copy of the Constitution.) Choosing to base his reading on the pictures on the margins, which carry no legal or constitutional import, instead of the text, which is what a document like the Constitution actually amounts to and stands as in the realm of law and justice, the author succeeds in subverting and distorting the Constitution and, in fact, in making it disappear from the sight and minds of readers, especially if they are of an impressionable age, which the schoolchildren, as the ultimate readers of the book, indeed are. It is not made clear as to what are the precise sources of the author's claims about artists' vision in drawing particular paintings on the opening pages of each chapter. Similarly, we are left totally uninformed about the precise references of constitutional debates and made to take the author's word for his superb claims. Or should we take all this to be a result of the far fetched imagination of a man who had the resources to publish a book and the social capital to get it through the Department of Education!
Education Departments in charge of running public schools are supposed to know better and expected to act with greater sense of commitment to the pursuit of knowledge, instead of allowing such silly and harmful interventions. After all, neither the demands of our modern and secular schools which align with public reason and rationality, nor the mandate of Social Sciences and the Constitution warrant the kind of culturally regressive and academically false agenda being pushed by the book 'Sanvidhaan aur Sanatan'. This also calls for taking a serious relook at all the interventions and programs taking place in schools under the name of Olympiad, in itself an exercise of questionable academic worth if not a distortion of the ideals of education. Delhi Government must order its School Education Department to undertake an immediate and rigorous evaluation of all the programs being allowed or pushed in its schools, whether on its own or through other organisations, to ensure that anything which does not comply with the highest standards of academic rigour and reason, and the values of Constitution, including those of secularism, is given no space among students. Meanwhile, it will only be fair to withdraw the permission given for the upcoming Olympiad which this book is designed to be preparation for. After all, given the low and highly objectionable standards of the 'practice questions' in the book, there is no denying that the Olympiad itself is likely to suffer from the same problem. Finally, given its own public accountability on the one hand and its lack of control over private entities on the other, the Education Department needs to seriously reconsider the policy, which is prone to work in a still more ad-hoc manner at zonal levels, of allowing and inviting private organisations to conduct programs or intervene in its schools, under howsoever a high-sounding theme.
