After Criticism, NCERT to Restore Original 'Dancing Girl' Image in School Textbook
The alteration of an iconic Indus Valley bronze figurine in a Class 9 arts textbook raises questions about academic integrity, heritage representation, and the politics of curriculum design
What happened
When a government body digitally modifies a 4,500-year-old artefact in a school textbook, it is not merely an editorial decision — it is a statement about whose version of history gets taught. For a UPSC aspirant, this episode is a live case study in the tension between institutional autonomy of bodies like NCERT, the constitutional obligation to protect monuments and artefacts under Article 49, and the global standards of heritage representation upheld by UNESCO. The Mains examiner will not ask you what happened; they will ask you what it means for governance, academic integrity, and India's civilisational identity.
The 'Dancing Girl' is a lost-wax (cire-perdue) cast bronze figurine, approximately 10.5 cm tall, discovered at Mohenjo-daro in 1926 by British archaeologist Ernest Mackay.
●It dates to approximately 2500 BCE and is currently housed at the National Museum, New Delhi.
●The figurine is significant for multiple Prelims angles: it demonstrates that the Indus Valley people had mastered the lost-wax casting technique millennia before it was widely used elsewhere; it is evidence of trade links (the figurine wears bangles possibly of shell or ivory); and it is one of the few Indus Valley artefacts depicting a human figure with naturalistic posture.
●NCERT is a statutory body established under the NCERT Act, 1961, and its textbooks are adopted by CBSE and many state boards.
●The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023 governs the current revision cycle.
●Article 49 of the Constitution (a DPSP) directs the State to protect monuments, places, and objects of artistic or historic interest.
The Dancing Girl is not just an art object — it is a primary historical source, and altering its representation in a textbook is equivalent to editing an archival document.
◎ In Simple Words
Imagine if someone took a famous old statue from a museum and painted clothes on it before putting its photo in your school textbook — that is essentially what happened here. NCERT, the body that makes school textbooks in India, covered up part of a 4,500-year-old bronze statue called the 'Dancing Girl' from an ancient city called Mohenjo-daro in its new Class 9 arts book. This statue is like a celebrity of ancient history — archaeologists and historians around the world study it exactly as it is. After many experts complained that changing the image was wrong and disrespectful to history, NCERT said it would put the original image back.
Factual Pointers
Practice · 2 questions
The 'Dancing Girl' figurine associated with the Indus Valley Civilisation was discovered at Mohenjo-daro in 1926. Which of the following statements about this artefact is/are correct?
1. It was cast using the lost-wax (cire-perdue) technique.
2. It is currently housed at the British Museum, London.
3. It dates to approximately 2500 BCE.
Select the correct answer using the codes below:
With reference to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), consider the following statements:
1. NCERT is a constitutional body established under Article 45 of the Indian Constitution.
2. NCERT was established under the NCERT Act, 1961.
3. The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023 provides the basis for the current round of NCERT textbook revision.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Bronze Casting & Indus Heritage: Key Chronological Markers
Bronze Casting & Indus Heritage: Key Chronological Markers
Mature Harappan Phase — Indus Valley Civilisation at its peak; urban centres at Mohenjo-daro, Harappa, Dholavira
Dancing Girl (Mohenjo-daro) cast using lost-wax (cire perdue) technique — among the earliest known examples of this method globally
Lost-wax casting adopted widely in ancient Greece — approximately ~2,000 years after Indus Valley use (Met Museum, Heilbrunn Timeline)
Chola bronze tradition — Nataraja & other icons cast via same lost-wax method, demonstrating civilisational continuity of Indian metallurgy
Dholavira (Gujarat) inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site (India's 40th) — Decision 44 COM 8B.8; recognises Harappan civilisation's outstanding universal value
NCF 2023 (MoE) drives NCERT revision cycle; 'Indian Knowledge Systems' emphasis — implementation contested in Dancing Girl textbook alteration episode
NCERT announces restoration of original Dancing Girl image following criticism — academic integrity & ICOM Code of Ethics (2017, §2.2) cited in public debate
Sources: Metropolitan Museum of Art Heilbrunn Timeline; UNESCO Decision 44 COM 8B.8 (2021); NCF 2023, Ministry of Education; ICOM Code of Ethics (2017)
Mains Practice Questions
The alteration of the 'Dancing Girl' image in an NCERT textbook has been described as a case of 'presentism' applied to archaeological heritage. Critically examine the implications of such editorial decisions for India's heritage governance framework and the constitutional mandate under Article 49. (250 words, GS1/GS2)
Curriculum design in a democracy must balance pedagogical goals, cultural sensitivities, and academic integrity. In light of the NCERT Dancing Girl controversy, evaluate the institutional mechanisms available to ensure that textbook revision processes remain insulated from non-academic pressures. Suggest reforms. (250 words, GS2)
'A nation that misrepresents its own ancient heritage in school textbooks cannot credibly claim to be its custodian on the world stage.' Discuss this statement in the context of India's Indus Valley Civilisation heritage and its obligations under international heritage frameworks. (150 words, GS1 — short answer)