CBSE Introduces Law and Theatre Studies as Elective Subjects for Senior Secondary Classes

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has now decided to introduce theatre, legal studies or gender studies fullflegedly as an elective for Senior Secondary Classes from the current session 2014-15 onwards.

Until now, the Board has been offering the subjects at the Class XI-XII level under a pilot run in some select schools only from last year. But, now the student of classes XI and XII from all the CBSE affiliated schools will be able to pick the said subjects for elective.

The other elective subjects available to senior secondary students are NCC, human rights and a unique "Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India", which is an interdisciplinary subject. For secondary classes, the board has been offering Chinese language as elective, and the pilot run of which is under way in 25 schools at present.

As per the sources, the first batch will take their board exams in these subjects in March 2015.

The CBSE chairman, Vineet Joshi said that theatre studies are now going to be offered in all schools after their pilot run on first-come-first-served basis in 2013-14. Theatre can also play an important role in reinforcing and furthering the learning of other academic subjects which are taught in conventional ways, said Joshi, adding that it concretizes issues that would otherwise remain abstract and difficult for children to grasp, putting life back into bookish learning.

Legal studies is also expected to attract a lot of students, especially those considering the five-year integrated law course, informed Joshi. Over this elective, he said that the board wants to give a competitive edge to students who wish to prepare for a career in law.

The course syllabus will entail theory and nature of political institutions, nature and sources of law, historical evolution of Indian legal system, civil and criminal courts and processes, family justice system, arbitration, tribunal adjudication and alternate dispute resolution, human rights in India, the international context and an overview of the legal profession in India.