NCERT to replace India with Bharat in school textbooks across country
Proposal of the same has been unanimously accepted by a committee, according to CA Issac, one of the panel members.
The high-level committee for social sciences, appointed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to update the school curriculum, has proposed substituting the term ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in books. Additionally, the committee has recommended introducing ‘classical History’ in lieu of ancient History in the curriculum, as per committee chairperson CI Issac.
According to Issac, the term ‘India’ became commonplace only after the establishment of the East India Company and the Battle of Plassey in 1757. He emphasized that the use of the term ‘Bharat’ dates back more than 5,000 years. Given this context, all seven panel members unanimously decided to advocate for the use of ‘Bharat’ in textbooks across all classes.
Article 1(1) of the Constitution defines the name of our country as “India, that is Bharat shall be a Union of States”.
In September, during the G20 Leaders Summit held at the Bharat Mandapam in Delhi’s Pragati Maidan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nameplate displayed the term ‘Bharat’.
Videos and images circulated widely on social media showcasing a placard featuring ‘Bharat’ as PM Modi delivered his inaugural address at the summit.
The NCERT is presently overhauling the curriculum of school textbooks in accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Recently, the council established a 19-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) to finalize the curriculum, textbooks, and learning materials for these classes.
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