GUWAHATI, Aug 30 - The Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) is set to introduce history and geography as a combined core subject at 10+2 level.
The new subject to be known as Swadesh Adhyayan will contain elements of both history and geography.
This was decided following the recommendation by an expert panel.
�Knowledge of history and geography is crucial for the understanding of our own heritage and identity. It is with this objective that we have cleared the decks for introducing the two as a combined subject at the higher secondary level. The new subject will be called Swadesh Adhyayan and it will be among the five core subjects in HS Arts (stream),� AHSEC chairman Dr Dayananda Borgohain told The Assam Tribune.
The educationist added that the preparation of the textbook had already been assigned to an expert panel.
�Emphasis has been laid on incorporating the diversity of the State and the region as well as the country in preparing the text. This will help the students to have a proper understanding of the things that are actually an inseparable part of their very identity. Only when one knows about one�s heritage that one can inculcate a sense of belongingness to and responsibility for one�s native place,� he said.
According to Dr Borgohain, long-term gains of the initiative would also manifest in effective regional planning for expediting the development process of the State and the rest of the Northeast.
�India is a vastly diverse land with different terrains and cultures dominating different landscapes. This needs to reflect in policy, planning and implementation. It is the absence of proper regional-level planning that is perpetuating the backwardness in areas like the Northeast. Knowledge of history and geography is critical to formulating the right type of policies for a given region,� he said.
Swadesh Adhyayan will also be offered as major subjects at degree and postgraduate levels.
