A high-level committee for social sciences constituted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training [NCERT] to revise the school curriculum has recommended replacing the name ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in textbooks and introducing ‘classical history’ instead of ancient history in the curriculum, as per the committee’s chairperson, C.I. Issac, on Wednesday. C.I. Issac is a retired history professor who has been closely associated with the Sangh Parivar institutions for several decades. He told journalists on Wednesday that the panel had unanimously recommended, in its report submitted to NCERT earlier this year, that the country’s name should be referred to as ‘Bharat’ and not ‘India’ in all school textbooks, from the primary to the high school level.
NCERT Committee recommends replacing India with 'Bharat' in all school textbooks. pic.twitter.com/prFn1s5wGZ
— ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2023
Mr. Issac is a long-time member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, and currently heads the Bharatiya Vichara Kendram, a right-wing think tank. Mr. Issac has been awarded Padma Shri this year, is a member of the Indian Council of Historical Research [ICHR], and is retired from the history department at Kottayam’s CMS college. The other members of the committee included ICHR chairperson Raguvendra Tanwar, Jawaharlal Nehru University professor Vandana Mishra, and Vasant Shinde, an archaeologist and a former vice chancellor of Deccan College Deemed University.
According to a report by The Hindu, Professor Shinde said that the committee submitted its proposal to the NCERT four months ago and confirmed the recommendation to replace ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’. By quoting the Vishnu Purana, a Hindu text, he maintained that ‘Bharat’ was a better name for the country. Moreover, Professor Shinde also said that “all the members of the panel have agreed to replace India with Bharat.”
NCERT posted on X [previously known as Twitter] that the process of developing the new syllabus and textbooks is still ongoing, and for that, various Curriculum Area Groups of domain experts are being notified by NCERT. Moreover, NCERT also said, “On the news in the media being flashed about changing the name of ‘India’ into ‘Bharat’ in all textbooks of NCERT. So, it is premature to comment on the news being flashed in the media on the concerned issue.”
NCERT states that since the development of new syllabus and textbooks is in the process and for that purpose various Curricular Area Groups of domain experts are being notified by the NCERT.
— NCERT (@ncert) October 25, 2023
Background of the India-Bharat Row
“India, that is, Bharat, shall be a Union of States,” says Article 1.
The India-Bharat row gained attention when the Rajbhawan sent invitations for a G-20 dinner on September 9 on behalf of the ‘President of Bharat’. The political opposition parties had criticised the use of the name Bharat in English, which has been a long-term pending demand by the RSS. The RSS has been using ‘Bharat’ as the name of the country since the time of its formation in 1925. ”Our country has been known as ‘Bharat’ for ages. Whatever the language, the name remains the same. We don’t have to think about whether anyone outside will understand this or not. If they want to, they will, but that is not our issue,” RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat said last month. While speaking to the news agency ANI, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that the implication of the word ‘Bharat’ is reflected in the Constitution. “India, which is Bharat, is there in the constitution. Please, I would invite everybody to read it.”
Opposition Parties Condemn NCERT Recommendations
The opposition parties, over the issue, attacked the NCERT recommendations. “They are suggesting so many things. You can see how they are distorting the history of India through the textbooks, syllabus, and everything. I didn’t know about the India-Bharat thing. For us, ‘India’ and ‘Bharat’ are equal. This is not coming from your heart,” said senior Congress leader K.C. Venugopal.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar termed the panel’s recommendation “wrong,” alleging that the NDA government had forced the NCERT to take the ‘decision’.
#WATCH | On NCERT panel recommendation of replacing 'India' with 'Bharat' in school textbooks, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar says, "Why are we saying the Reserve Bank of India, Indian Administrative Service and Indian Foreign Service? In our passports, we have the Republic of… pic.twitter.com/HROiNblTAF
— ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2023
The proposed change from ‘India’ to ‘Bharat’ in school textbooks has sparked a contentious war over names, reflecting deeper political and cultural divisions. This shift is emblematic of alleged political intervention in the education system. Simultaneously, the introduction of ‘classical history’ in lieu of ‘ancient history’ raises concerns about a weakening education system. These issues are entwined, highlighting the delicate balance between culture, politics, and education. It is imperative for stakeholders to engage in meaningful discussions regarding these changes and their potential consequences for India’s education system and societal cohesion.
