Express News Service
NEW DELHI: A panel set up for revising the NCERT textbooks has recommended that ‘India’ should be replaced with ‘Bharat’ in all social science textbooks up to Class 12.
Speaking to , the committee chairperson, C I Isaac, said the panel has suggested replacing the name “India” with “Bharat” in the textbooks, introducing ‘classical history,’ instead of ‘ancient history,’ in the curriculum and including the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in the syllabus for all subjects.
He said he, as the chairperson, has signed the recommendations, and it has been shared with the education ministry.
The committee has also suggested highlighting ‘Hindu victories’ in textbooks.
“The recommendations have been shared with the education ministry. It now depends on the ministry and the NCERT whether they want to implement the suggestion from next academic year,” Isaac, who is heading the seven-member Social Science committee, said.
“It was a unanimous decision of all the members to replace the name from ‘India’ to ‘Bharat’ in the textbooks for students across classes,” said Issac, who is a historian and Padma Shri awardee.
However, NCERT Chairman Dinesh Saklani said no decision has yet been taken on the panel’s recommendations.
NCERT on X, formerly Twitter, posted that, “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. So, it is too premature to comment.”
Isaac said that Bharat is an age-old name and has been used in ancient texts, such as Vishnu Purana, which is 7,000 years old. “The name India came much later with the invasion of Turks, Afghans and Greeks. Kalidasa used the name, Bharat.”
‘Bharat’ was used officially when the centre sent out G20 invites in the name of “President of Bharat” instead of “President of India.” Later, the nameplate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 summit in New Delhi also read “Bharat” instead of India.
Isaac said the committee has also recommended highlighting ‘Hindu victories’ in various battles in the textbooks.
“Our failures are presently mentioned in the textbooks. But our victories over the Mughals and sultans are not,” he said.
Isaac, who is also a member of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), said, “The British had divided Indian history into three phases — ancient, medieval and modern – showing India in darkness, unaware of scientific knowledge and progress.”
“Therefore, we have suggested that the classical period of Indian history be taught in schools, along with medieval and modern periods,” he added.
The NCERT is revising the curriculum of the school textbooks in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The council recently constituted a 19-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) to finalise the curriculum, textbooks and learning material for these classes.
Issac has been closely associated with the Sangh Parivar organisations for the past several decades and also served as vice president of the right-wing think-tank Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram.
He worked as a History Professor at the CMS College, Kottayam.
The other members of the committee include ICHR Chairperson Raghuvendra Tanwar, Vandana Mishra, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Vasant Shinde, former vice-chancellor of the Deccan College Deemed University, and Mamta Yadav, who teaches sociology in a Haryana government school.
The panel chaired by Issac is among the 25 committees formed by the NCERT in December 2021 to prepare position papers on various subjects and themes. Likewise, the states had also constituted 25 groups each on the same subjects and themes to send inputs to the NCERT as part of the new curriculum and textbook development exercise.
The panel’s suggestion for replacing ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ received flak from opposition parties.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said, “They are suggesting so many things. You can see how they are distorting the history of India through the textbook, syllabus, and everything…For us, India and Bharat are equal,”
AAP leader Priyanka Kakkar said, “It shows the fear PM Modi has of the INDIA alliance. His alliance partners are leaving him. Instead of changing names, efforts should be made to focus on issues of joblessness, inflation, and corruption.”
DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai said, “The BJP is resorting to name-change politics to divert the attention of people from its misdeeds and maladministration.”
Congress leader Jignesh Mevani said the move was disrespectful towards the Indian Constitution in which ‘India, that is, Bharat’ is written. “Both words can be used interchangeably,” he added. Follow channel on WhatsApp
NEW DELHI: A panel set up for revising the NCERT textbooks has recommended that ‘India’ should be replaced with ‘Bharat’ in all social science textbooks up to Class 12.
Speaking to , the committee chairperson, C I Isaac, said the panel has suggested replacing the name “India” with “Bharat” in the textbooks, introducing ‘classical history,’ instead of ‘ancient history,’ in the curriculum and including the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in the syllabus for all subjects.
He said he, as the chairperson, has signed the recommendations, and it has been shared with the education ministry.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
The committee has also suggested highlighting ‘Hindu victories’ in textbooks.
“The recommendations have been shared with the education ministry. It now depends on the ministry and the NCERT whether they want to implement the suggestion from next academic year,” Isaac, who is heading the seven-member Social Science committee, said.
“It was a unanimous decision of all the members to replace the name from ‘India’ to ‘Bharat’ in the textbooks for students across classes,” said Issac, who is a historian and Padma Shri awardee.
However, NCERT Chairman Dinesh Saklani said no decision has yet been taken on the panel’s recommendations.
NCERT on X, formerly Twitter, posted that, “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. So, it is too premature to comment.”
Isaac said that Bharat is an age-old name and has been used in ancient texts, such as Vishnu Purana, which is 7,000 years old. “The name India came much later with the invasion of Turks, Afghans and Greeks. Kalidasa used the name, Bharat.”
‘Bharat’ was used officially when the centre sent out G20 invites in the name of “President of Bharat” instead of “President of India.” Later, the nameplate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 summit in New Delhi also read “Bharat” instead of India.
Isaac said the committee has also recommended highlighting ‘Hindu victories’ in various battles in the textbooks.
“Our failures are presently mentioned in the textbooks. But our victories over the Mughals and sultans are not,” he said.
Isaac, who is also a member of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), said, “The British had divided Indian history into three phases — ancient, medieval and modern – showing India in darkness, unaware of scientific knowledge and progress.”
“Therefore, we have suggested that the classical period of Indian history be taught in schools, along with medieval and modern periods,” he added.
The NCERT is revising the curriculum of the school textbooks in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The council recently constituted a 19-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) to finalise the curriculum, textbooks and learning material for these classes.
Issac has been closely associated with the Sangh Parivar organisations for the past several decades and also served as vice president of the right-wing think-tank Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram.
He worked as a History Professor at the CMS College, Kottayam.
The other members of the committee include ICHR Chairperson Raghuvendra Tanwar, Vandana Mishra, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Vasant Shinde, former vice-chancellor of the Deccan College Deemed University, and Mamta Yadav, who teaches sociology in a Haryana government school.
The panel chaired by Issac is among the 25 committees formed by the NCERT in December 2021 to prepare position papers on various subjects and themes. Likewise, the states had also constituted 25 groups each on the same subjects and themes to send inputs to the NCERT as part of the new curriculum and textbook development exercise.
The panel’s suggestion for replacing ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ received flak from opposition parties.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said, “They are suggesting so many things. You can see how they are distorting the history of India through the textbook, syllabus, and everything…For us, India and Bharat are equal,”
AAP leader Priyanka Kakkar said, “It shows the fear PM Modi has of the INDIA alliance. His alliance partners are leaving him. Instead of changing names, efforts should be made to focus on issues of joblessness, inflation, and corruption.”
DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai said, “The BJP is resorting to name-change politics to divert the attention of people from its misdeeds and maladministration.”
Congress leader Jignesh Mevani said the move was disrespectful towards the Indian Constitution in which ‘India, that is, Bharat’ is written. “Both words can be used interchangeably,” he added. Follow channel on WhatsApp
