NCERT Updates History: New Class 8 Textbook Reveals Untold Truth About Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released its updated Class 8 Social Science textbook as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework 2023. The new textbook includes a detailed account of India’s freedom struggle, British colonial rule, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and the Partition, incorporating the latest historical perspectives.

New Insights on the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

On April 13, 1919, thousands of unarmed Indians gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar for the Baisakhi festival were mercilessly fired upon by British troops under General Reginald Dyer. The attack killed men, women, and children alike, leaving the park’s walls scarred with bullet marks—a grim reminder of colonial cruelty.

The updated NCERT textbook provides a new perspective: it notes that despite repeated public and political requests, the British government never formally apologized for the massacre, describing it merely as “a deeply shameful event in British history.” Previous textbooks did not mention these repeated calls for an apology.

Fate of General Dyer

Despite ordering the deaths of thousands, General Dyer faced no legal punishment. The British government criticized his actions as “inhuman” and “un-British,” but no formal penalty was imposed. The Hunter Commission, formed in 1920 to investigate, officially recorded 379 deaths, although historical accounts suggest the real toll was far higher. The commission condemned Dyer’s actions but did not demand an apology.

Partition and Independence: Updated Perspectives

The new textbook also expands the section on India’s Partition in 1947. While Mahatma Gandhi and most Congress leaders opposed the division, the book notes they eventually accepted it as the only feasible solution, even though a segment of Indian Muslims opposed it.

Earlier editions simply stated that “India’s freedom came with the joy of independence and the pain and violence of Partition.” The updated version explains that historians now acknowledge multiple factors behind British withdrawal: widespread public resistance, revolutionary activities, uprisings in the Royal Indian Air Force and Royal Indian Navy, the weakening of Britain post-World War II, and global decolonization trends.

Part of a Larger Educational Update

NCERT is updating textbooks for Classes 1 to 8 under NEP 2020 and NCF 2023. The Class 8 Social Science textbook Part 1 was released last July, while Part 2, covering colonial history, independence movements, Jallianwala Bagh, and Partition, was released on February 23, 2026. These updates aim to provide students with a more nuanced and historically accurate understanding of India’s past.