The lives and sacrifices of three of India’s most decorated military heroes — Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, Brigadier Mohammad Usman, and Major Somnath Sharma — have been included in the NCERT syllabus from the current academic year, the Ministry of Defence said on Thursday.
The chapters have been introduced in Class VIII (English) and Class VIII and VII (Urdu), and are part of a broader initiative to familiarise students with the country’s military history and values such as patriotism, courage, and resilience.
Field Marshal Manekshaw, India’s first officer to be elevated to the five-star rank, is celebrated for his decisive leadership during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. Brigadier Usman, known as the ‘Lion of Nowshera’, and Major Somnath Sharma, the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, both laid down their lives in service of the nation and were posthumously awarded the Mahavir Chakra and Param Vir Chakra respectively.
The inclusion of these chapters is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Education, and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), aimed at strengthening the emotional and patriotic connect of students with the National War Memorial (NWM).
Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 25, 2019, the National War Memorial is located at the ‘C’ Hexagon near India Gate in the national capital. It stands as a tribute to over 26,000 soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in service of the nation since Independence.