History, Sanitised: The NCERT Dancing Girl Row
Upasana | 22 June 2026 | BW Education
The National Council of Educational Research and Training's (NCERT) recent decision to restore the original image of the iconic Mohenjo-daro 'Dancing Girl' in its Class IX Arts Education textbook has reopened an old and uncomfortable question: who gets to decide how history should be presented to future generations?
The controversy emerged after an altered version of the celebrated bronze figurine appeared in the textbook Madhurima, with parts of the figure modified in a manner that many historians, archaeologists and educators regarded as unnecessary sanitisation. Following criticism from scholars and heritage experts, NCERT announced that the original image would be restored in future editions…