On July 10, 2025, Rajasthan’s School Education Minister Madan Dilawar announced the withdrawal of the Class 12 supplementary reader Azadi Ke Baad Ka Swarnim Bharat, stating that it disproportionately focused on the Gandhi‐Nehru family. He argued the book downplayed contributions of key figures like Sardar Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, BR Ambedkar, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, and regional BJP leaders such as Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Vasundhara Raje, while lacking mention of Prime Minister Modi’s achievements.
A PTA panel reviewing the text post‑syllabus overhaul observed that although leaders like Nehru, Indira, Jawaharlal Shastri, and Vajpayee were included, Modi appeared only briefly with no photographs in the current edition. Dilawar emphasized the need to include milestones like the 2019 Article 370 abrogation and “avoid teaching incomplete information.” The withdrawal affects around 80% of government schools that had received the book.
The Congress has strongly objected. Rajasthan PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra described the move as an ideological attack driven by RSS narratives. He questioned the minister’s intentions and condemned the attempt to erase the contributions of Gandhi-era leaders and others from educational materials.
Co-author Prof. Om Prakash Mahla defended the publication, saying it aimed to document India’s progress under all administrations, including BJP‑led governments like Vajpayee’s nuclear tests. He clarified that the book was a balanced, factual representation, not a Congress-centric narrative.
