NCERT includes Sengol sceptre in Class 9 textbooks

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has included the ‘Sengol’ in its Class 9 Social Science textbook, ‘Understanding Society India and Beyond-Part 2’. The textbook describes the sceptre as a ‘cultural marker of rulership and good governance’ and traces its traditions back to the Chola dynasty, which ruled more than a thousand years ago.

The sceptre was installed in the new Indian Parliament building in May 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The textbook also notes the sceptre’s connection to India’s independence, stating that at midnight on August 15, 1947, the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, received the Sengol from the Adheenam Saints of Tamil Nadu.

While the government and the Ministry of Culture view the Sengol as a symbol of India’s enduring values and righteous governance, the Congress party has contested these claims, stating there is no documented evidence that Lord Mountbatten, C. Rajagopalachari, or Jawaharlal Nehru described the sceptre as a symbol of the transfer of power from the British to India.