Hyderabad,  The Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) on Wednesday said that the University Grants Commission's (UGC) new learning outcomes based curriculum for BA History is a blatant attempt to saffronisation of syllabus and distortion of history.

SIO's national president Mohammad Salman Ahmad stated that the draft curriculum provides disproportionate importance to Hindu religious literature and presents an uncritical and unhistorical view of ancient Indian civilization and the Vedic period.

"While doing so the proposed syllabus marginalizes the history and ethical traditions of various other communities inhabiting the country. This preferential bias towards a particular culture to represent all Indian knowledge is violative of our constitutional principles and threatens the plurality of our country," he said in a statement.

The SIO chief said the draft curriculum deviates from the basic principles of historiography by presenting mythological figures and fabled events as part of history. At the same time, it seeks to downplay or misrepresent the role of other actual historical figures and events to create a dubious past that exists only in Hindutva minds.

Ahmad said it's ironic that on one hand UGC is pushing for the autonomy of colleges, and on the other hand insisting on providing a one-size-fits-all curriculum for educational institutes across the country.

"From making final year exams compulsory during Covid-19 pandemic to common syllabi, UGC's undue interference will prove detrimental to the cause of higher education in a vast and diverse country like India. These sweeping diktats are contrary to the spirit of federalism and ideals of academic autonomy," he added.