Overview

• NCERT convened a review committee to assess criticism of its new Class 8 social science map placing Jaisalmer within the Maratha Empire
• Chaitanya Raj Singh and members of erstwhile royal families formally petitioned Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to correct the depiction, calling it baseless and misleading
• BJP leaders Vishwaraj Singh Mewar and Mahima Kumari and Congress veteran Ashok Gehlot joined the outcry, warning the map could misinform students about Rajasthan’s heritage
• Historians and critics note that 18th-century Maratha activity in Rajasthan was limited to raids and tribute demands, with no administrative control over princely states like Jaisalmer
• The expert panel will review available evidence, deliberate on historical sources and recommend corrections for future textbook editions