A panel of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has recommended replacing the word 'India' with 'Bharat' in school textbooks, amid a debate over whether the country will be renamed 'Bharat'.
The 'Bharat' vs 'India' debate erupted in September this year after official invitations for the G20 summit dinner described Droupadi Murmu's position as 'President of Bharat', replacing the customary 'President of India'. Although Article 1 of the Constitution says, "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States," the move sparked criticism from opposition leaders who wondered whether a purported name change of the country is in the works.
NCERT's recommendations
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A high-level committee for social sciences that was constituted by the 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, said committee’s chairperson CI Issac on Wednesday.
The committee has also recommended the introduction of Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in curriculum for all subjects. NCERT officials, however, said no decision has been taken yet on the panel's recommendations. "The committee has unanimously recommended that the name 'Bharat' should be used in textbooks for students across classes. We have also recommended introducing 'classical history' instead of 'ancient history' in the textbooks," Isaac told PTI.
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He 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," said Isaac, who is also a member of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).
