NCERT: Why is there a controversy surrounding the 'Dancing Girl' of Mohenjo-daro? NCERT Director responds to the issue..
Shikha Saxena June 18, 2026 04:15 PM

NCERT Dancing Girl: A controversy has arisen regarding the 'Dancing Girl'—a bronze statue from Mohenjo-daro considered one of the most famous archaeological artifacts of the Indus Valley Civilization. The dispute stems from an image of the statue published in NCERT's new Class 9 art education textbook, 'Madhurima'.

In the 'History of Arts' chapter of the book, the upper portion of the 'Dancing Girl' statue is depicted in a way that obscures the anatomical details visible in the original sculpture. The use of shading in the image makes the statue's nude torso appear covered.

**Different Image in Class 6 Book**
Interestingly, the same 'Dancing Girl' statue is depicted much closer to its original form in NCERT's Class 6 Social Science textbook. This discrepancy has raised questions about why the same historical artifact is presented differently across two separate books.

**What Did Michel Danino Say?**
Michel Danino, who headed the textbook development committee for NCERT's new Class 6 Social Science books, responded to the issue by stating that he had previously been informed that the image of the 'Dancing Girl' was considered "not age-appropriate."

Speaking to PTI, Danino mentioned that his team disagreed with this reasoning. He noted that the team had consulted Class 6 teachers, who stated that there had never been any issue regarding the 'Dancing Girl' statue.

According to Danino, viewing nudity as inappropriate reflects an outdated Victorian mindset. He remarked that such an approach seems contradictory, especially when the goal is to decolonize Indian education.

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