NCERT’s recently released Class 7 mathematics textbook includes multiple mentions of ancient Indian contributions to the subject and says concepts such as algebra were first developed by Indian mathematicians.

This is the second part of NCERT’s (National Council of Educational Research and Training) Ganita Prakash textbook for Class 7. Part 1, which also contained such references, was released earlier this year.

Part 2 cites examples from Sanskrit texts, includes problems and solutions related to the work of ancient Indian mathematicians, and also talks about an ancient Indian text on geometry.

NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani said that part of the purpose behind introducing such concepts is to teach students “correct history” without a “skewed” colonial view.

A chapter on integers

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