‘Too Premature To Comment’: NCERT On Reports Claiming Textbooks Will Have India Replaced With Bharat

The NCERT has said that since the development of the new syllabus and textbooks is underway, it is too premature to comment on media reports on the concerned issue.

NCERT comments on reports claiming changing name of India to Bharat in all textbooks (Representational Image)

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The National Council Of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has come up with a clarification on media reports claiming that the name of India will be replaced with ‘Bharat’ in all textbooks. The NCERT has said that since the development of new syllabus and textbooks in underway, it is too premature to comment on the news being flashed in the media on the concerned issue. 

“On media reports about changing the name of India to Bharat in all NCERT textbooks, NCERT says 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 on the news being flashed in the media on the concerned issue,” the NCERT said. 

Earlier today, citing an input from PTI, several media reports claimed that the NCERT has approved the recommendations of its high-level social sciences expert panel to replace the name ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in textbooks and introduce ‘classical History’ instead of ancient History in the curriculum. The reports were based on inputs claiming that the NCERT has approved the recommendations of the expert panel to change the name of India to  Bharat in NCERT textbooks, and use ‘Classical History,’ instead of ‘Medieval History’ in school textbooks. 

Following the media reports though, the opposition parties were quick to hit back at the NCERT’s move. On reports claiming name change of India to 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 India... I think something wrong has happened to this government... Why are they confusing the minds of Indians?... Whatever stand they have taken is completely anti-people, anti-India, and anti-Bharat... I am telling you they (NCERT) have been forced by the NDA government. This is completely wrong... You can't change the history of India... Karnataka will continue with whatever there was earlier..."

Notably, the NCERT has approved the recommendation of its high-level committee for social sciences, which suggested replacing the name ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in textbooks and introducing ‘classical History’ instead of ancient History in the school curriculum. As per the committee chairperson C I Isaac, 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.