On October 25, 2023, a proposal by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) panel to have the next set of books printed as Bharat instead of India has been unanimously accepted by its members. According to Cl Issac, one of the panel members, the new NCERT books will now have the name change. This proposal was put forth some months ago and now has been accepted, Issac said.
A high-level committee for social sciences constituted by the National Council For Educational Research and Training to revise the school curriculum has also recommended replacing the name India as Bharat in text books.
Reforming Indian History
The NCERT is revising the curriculum of the school textbooks in line with the National Education Policy (NEP-2020). The council has recently constituted a nineteen-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material for these classes.
Isaac said that according to the Vishnu Purana, a seven-thousand-year-old ancient religious text, Bharat is an age-old name. In the Vishnu Purana, the name Bharat finds mention as the landmass that lies north of the ocean and south of the snow mountains. It states:
Uttaraṃ yatsamudrasya himādreścaiva dakṣiṇam
varṣaṃ tadbhārataṃ nāma bhāratī yatra santatiḥ
The shloka means “The country or Varṣaṃ that lies north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains is called Bharatam and there live the descendants of Bharata. Constitutionally, Bharat is the official Sanskrit nae of the country, Bharat Ganarajya, the Republic of India.
The term India started being used commonly only after the Battle Of Plassey in 1757 fought between Siraj-ud Daulah and Robert Clive, the Nawab of Bengal and the commander of the British East India Company.
Continuing further Issac said that the committee which is one of the 25 committees formed by the NCERT in the year 2021 to prepare position papers on various subjects and themes has further recommended that the word Classical History will replace the term Ancient History in the text books.
He said that the British divided Indian History into three phases, which are ancient, medieval and modern, showing India in darkness, unaware of the scientific knowledge and progress. However, many achievements in that age include Aryabhatta’s work on the solar system mode he said. Therefore, we have suggested that the classical period of history taught in schools along with medieval and modern periods, Issac said.
The committee has also recommended the highlighting Hindu Victories in the text books. Our failures have been presently mentioned in text books. But our victories over Sultans and Mughals are not said Issac, the member of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR). The committee has also recommended the introduction of the Indian Knowledge System in the curriculum of all subjects.
Background
The NCERT panel’s recommendation came against the backdrop of the intense speculation on whether the country will be named “Bharat” The buzz began earlier this year after the Centre sent G20 dinner invites hosted by the President Droupadi Murmu in the name of President of Bharat instead of President of India, triggering a political row. The Article 1 of the constitution defines the name of the country as India, that is Bharat, shall be Union Of States.
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