New NCERT books to have 'Bharat' instead of 'India'
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) panel has reportedly recommended replacing the term "India" with "Bharat" in upcoming textbooks. The proposal was put forth months ago, and it has now been unanimously accepted, CI Issac, a member, told India Today. This comes amid debate over renaming the country "Bharat," which erupted after President Droupadi Murmu issued G20 Summit dinner invitations under the title "President of Bharat" in September.
Why does this story matter?
The president's G20 invite replacing the conventional "President of India" with "President of Bharat" triggered political controversy. Even though there was no official confirmation, several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders came out in support of the name Bharat. They said that this could have been done much earlier to shed the colonial mentality. Opposition parties, on the other hand, claimed it was in response to their formation of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) for the 2024 general elections.
Changes in line with National Education Policy 2020
"Bharat is an age-old name. The use of the name Bharat finds its mention in ancient texts such as Vishnu Purana, which is 7,000 years old," Issac said. Reportedly, the new changes are in line with the NCERT's revision of the curriculum under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Earlier, the council had constituted a 19-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) to finalize the curriculum, textbooks, and learning material for these classes.
Other recommendations by NCERT panel
Furthermore, the NCERT panel has suggested emphasizing "Hindu victories" and replacing "ancient history" with "classical history" in educational materials, per India Today. Issac reportedly claimed that history will no longer be categorized into ancient, medieval, and modern periods, as was done by the British, who depicted India as being in darkness and ignorant of scientific advancements. The committee also proposed integrating the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) into all subject curricula.
PM Modi's 'Bharat' nameplate at G20 Summit
To recall, during his speech at the G20 Leaders Summit in September at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi's Pragati Maidan, Prime Minister Modi's nameplate also featured "Bharat," fueling rumors of the name change. Images and videos circulated on social media displayed a sign with "Bharat" as PM Modi gave his opening remarks. The opposition had launched a scathing attack on the Centre over the issue, stating that the Modi government is "distorting history and dividing India."
