📷 Image Credits: The Indian Express
Amid the ongoing row over revised textbooks, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) Director Dinesh Saklani has emphasized that the words ‘Bharat’ and ‘India’ are interchangeable in them. In an interview with news agency PTI, Saklani asserted that the debate over these words was useless, given that the Constitution upholds both of them. He further added that the NCERT has no aversion to using either ‘Bharat’ or ‘India’ in their textbooks.
Saklani questioned, “It is interchangeable… our position is what our Constitution says and we uphold that. We can use Bharat, we can use India, what is the problem?” These statements come after a high-level panel for social sciences recommended the replacing of ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in all textbooks last year.
The committee chairperson, C I Isaac, mentioned that the name Bharat has a historic significance, dating back to ancient texts like Vishnu Purana. However, NCERT has faced controversy over omissions in its Class 12 Political Science textbook, such as the lack of explicit references to events like the Babri Masjid demolition. Saklani justified these omissions as part of expert committee feedback, aiming to respect the Supreme Court’s 2019 judgment on the Ayodhya dispute.
The revision in the Ayodhya section was based on accommodating the court’s judgment, while the decision to use ‘Bharat’ or ‘India’ in textbooks aligns with the Constitution’s recognition of both terms. Despite the recommendations from the panel to replace ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in all social science textbooks up to Class 12, NCERT Chairman Dinesh Saklani has clarified that no final decision has been made on implementing these changes. The ongoing discussions reflect a broader debate on historical narratives and terminology in educational materials, raising questions about the representation of India’s past and identity in school curriculums.
