West Bengal to add freedom fighter biographies to syllabus, CM Adhikari announces
Synopsis
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari used Khudiram Bose's Martyrdom Day to announce a sweeping curriculum overhaul — freedom fighter biographies will enter every level of education, from primary school to university. The move doubles as a political broadside against the TMC and Left Front, whom Adhikari accused of erasing India's freedom movement from classrooms.
Key Takeaways
CM Suvendu Adhikari announced on 11 August that biographies of freedom fighters will be added to West Bengal's curriculum from primary school to university.
Khudiram Bose , hanged by British rulers on 11 August 1908 at age 18 , was the focus of the event held in Keshpur, West Midnapore .
The CM criticised the previous TMC and Left Front governments for allegedly sidelining freedom movement history in school syllabi.
School Education Minister Dipak Burman confirmed the new syllabus will take effect from the 2028 academic year , with a review of existing books in 2027 .
The state government also plans to renovate Khudiram Bose's ancestral home, which has reportedly remained neglected.
Khudiram Bose Atmabalidan Divas will henceforth be observed annually as an official commemorative occasion.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday, 11 August announced that biographies of legendary freedom fighters will be incorporated into the academic curriculum across all levels — from primary school to university — in the state. The declaration came during a commemorative event marking Khudiram Bose Atmabalidan Divas (Martyrdom Day) held in Keshpur, West Midnapore district.
What Was Announced
Addressing the gathering, CM Adhikari stated that Khudiram Bose — the young Bengali revolutionary hanged by British rulers on 11 August 1908 at the age of just 18 — had until now been reduced to a mere four lines in the school syllabus. He called for an expansive inclusion of the freedom fighter's life and sacrifice across educational levels, and said he was formally appealing to the state education department to act on this.
'Khudiram Bose so far had been confined to just four lines of the syllabus. That will not work. His history must be spread from school to university level,' the Chief Minister said. He framed the initiative as part of a broader mission to 'spread patriotism and statesmanship under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.'
Adhikari also announced that henceforth, Khudiram Bose Atmabalidan Divas will be observed every year as an official occasion to pay homage to the freedom fighter.
Attack on Previous Governments
CM Adhikari launched a sharp critique of both the previous All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Left Front governments, accusing them of sidelining the authentic history of India's freedom movement in school and higher education curricula.
'During the previous Trinamool Congress regime, a chapter was included in the school syllabus on Trinamool Congress' agitation to drive away a small-car project from Singur in Hooghly district. Even the previous Left Front government did not want our students to know about the real history of the freedom movement in India,' Adhikari said. He contrasted this with the current government's stated commitment to highlighting the sacrifices of freedom fighters.
Syllabus Overhaul Under Way
The announcement is part of a wider curriculum review that the state government has been pursuing since the new administration took charge. School Education Minister Dipak Burman had earlier this month stated that a revamped school syllabus will come into effect from the 2028 academic year.
According to Burman, the syllabus committee has begun work on a long-term roadmap for educational reform. In the 2027 academic year, existing textbooks will be retained and reviewed, with a major restructuring of the curriculum planned for 2028. The minister made these remarks on 4 August.
Khudiram Bose's Ancestral Home
Beyond the curriculum, CM Adhikari said the state government is also taking steps to renovate the ancestral home of Khudiram Bose, which he noted had remained neglected for years. No timeline for the renovation was specified at the event.
With the syllabus overhaul slated for 2028 and annual observance of Martyrdom Day now formalised, the state's approach to history education is set to shift significantly in the years ahead.
Point of View
CM Adhikari is using history education as a reframing tool — positioning the new West Bengal government as the true inheritor of nationalist sentiment. The real test will come in 2028: whether the revised syllabus reflects a genuine broadening of historical representation or a selective retelling that swaps one political lens for another. India's curriculum debates have a long record of such substitutions, and West Bengal's contentious political history makes independent academic oversight more critical than ever.
NationPress
11 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did CM Suvendu Adhikari announce about West Bengal's school syllabus?
CM Adhikari announced that biographies of legendary freedom fighters will be included in West Bengal's academic curriculum at all levels, from primary school to university. The announcement was made on 11 August at a Khudiram Bose Martyrdom Day event in Keshpur, West Midnapore.
Who was Khudiram Bose and why is he significant?
Khudiram Bose was a Bengali revolutionary who was hanged by British colonial rulers on 11 August 1908, when he was just 18 years old. He is widely regarded as one of the youngest martyrs of India's freedom movement and is a revered figure in West Bengal.
When will the new West Bengal school syllabus come into effect?
According to School Education Minister Dipak Burman, the revamped syllabus will be effective from the 2028 academic year. Existing textbooks will be retained and reviewed during 2027 before the full restructuring takes place.
What was CM Adhikari's criticism of previous governments?
Adhikari accused the previous TMC regime of including a chapter in the school syllabus about the party's own agitation against the Singur car project, and criticised the Left Front for allegedly suppressing the real history of India's freedom movement in educational curricula.
What other initiative did CM Adhikari announce related to Khudiram Bose?
CM Adhikari announced that the state government will renovate Khudiram Bose's ancestral home, which he said had remained neglected. He also declared that Khudiram Bose Atmabalidan Divas will be officially observed every year going forward.
