June 17th 2024.
During a recent interaction with PTI editors, Dinesh Prasad Saklani, the director of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), clarified that the terms "Bharat" and "India" will be used interchangeably in the textbooks published by the council. This decision aligns with the country's Constitution, which also uses both terms interchangeably. The NCERT chief emphasized that the council has no preference for either "Bharat" or "India".
The comments made by Saklani hold significant weight, especially in light of a recommendation made by a high-level panel responsible for revising the social science curriculum. The panel suggested that "India" should be replaced with "Bharat" in all textbooks across different grade levels. However, Saklani dismissed this suggestion, stating that both terms will continue to be used in the new textbooks. He also called the ongoing debate on this matter "useless".
The committee, led by C I Isaac, had proposed not only the replacement of "India" with "Bharat" but also the introduction of "classical history" in the curriculum instead of "ancient history". They also recommended the inclusion of the Indian Knowledge System in all subjects. Isaac had explained that the committee unanimously agreed on the use of "Bharat" in textbooks as it is an age-old name that appears in ancient texts like the Vishnu Purana.
However, the NCERT had clarified that no decision has been taken on the panel's recommendations yet. It is worth noting that the term "Bharat" officially appeared for the first time last year when the government sent out invites for the G20 summit in the name of the "President of Bharat" instead of the "President of India". Even the nameplate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the summit read "Bharat" instead of "India".
In conclusion, the NCERT has made it clear that the terms "Bharat" and "India" will continue to be used interchangeably in their textbooks, and they have no preference for either term. While the high-level panel had suggested replacing "India" with "Bharat" in all textbooks, the NCERT has not yet made a decision on this matter. The ongoing debate on this issue has been deemed "useless" by the NCERT chief, emphasizing the council's stance of following what is stated in the country's Constitution.
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