NCERT affirms using "Bharat" and "India" interchangeably in textbooks, echoing the nation's constitution amid debates over historical terminology.
The Director of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), Dinesh Prasad Saklani, clarified that the terms "Bharat" and "India" will both continue to be used interchangeably in NCERT textbooks, aligning with the language of the Indian Constitution. This decision follows discussions sparked by a recommendation from a high-level committee to replace "India" with "Bharat" across all school course materials.
Saklani emphasized that NCERT sees no issue with using either term and views them as interchangeable. He stated, "Our stance is in line with the Constitution. We can use Bharat, we can use India, what's the problem? We're not taking sides in that debate. We'll use India where appropriate, and Bharat where appropriate. We have no preference for one over the other."
He further highlighted that both terms are already present in current NCERT textbooks and will continue to be used in future editions. Saklani dismissed the controversy surrounding this issue as unnecessary, emphasizing that the council's approach is pragmatic and respects historical and constitutional references.
The committee that proposed replacing "India" with "Bharat" in textbooks also recommended integrating "classical history" instead of "ancient history" and incorporating the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) into all subjects' curricula. Committee chairperson C I Isaac explained their recommendation, noting that "Bharat" has historical roots dating back to ancient texts like the Vishnu Purana.
Despite the committee's suggestion, NCERT clarified that no final decision has been made regarding these recommendations. The term "Bharat" gained official recognition recently when government communications for the G20 summit referred to the "President of Bharat" instead of "President of India". Similarly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nameplate during the summit also bore the term "Bharat".
The NCERT has faced scrutiny recently over changes in its textbooks, including omissions related to historical events like the Babri Masjid demolition and shifts in political science content that now discuss topics such as minority appeasement in electoral politics.
Overall, the NCERT's stance reflects a balanced approach, aiming to maintain educational integrity while respecting India's diverse cultural and historical narratives as articulated in its constitutional framework.
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