Following a report by The Indian Express revealing that the iconic Mohenjo-daro “Dancing Girl” figurine had been obscured in a new Class 9 Arts Education textbook, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has reversed its decision and will restore the original image.
The correction will be applied immediately to the digital version of the textbook on the NCERT website. Additionally, any physical copies that have not yet been printed will include the restored image, while next year’s print run will fully reflect the update in all hard copies.
The swift reversal came after the Education Ministry demanded an explanation from NCERT on Monday. Sources noted that censoring the image in the Class 9 textbook made little sense, given that the unedited photograph already appears in the Class 6 Social Science curriculum.
Context on the Controversy: The issue of censoring the bronze Harappan-era figurine is not entirely new. In a May 27 interview, historian Michel Danino, who led the textbook development committee for the new Class 6 book, revealed that NCERT officials had previously objected to featuring the “Dancing Girl” on a chapter’s opening page, citing concerns that the figurine’s nudity could spark controversy.
