NCERT panel proposes replacing 'India' with 'Bharat' in all textbooks

A panel of India’s educational body NCERT has voted to recommend changing ‘India’ to ‘Bharat’ in school textbooks. Seven members voted unanimously for the recommendation.

Committee chairman CI Issac said ‘Bharat is an age-old name,’ and invoked the Indian constitution’s article 1. Apart from this, the body also decided to introduce the Indian Knowledge System in the curriculum for all subjects.

Issac said the name ‘Bharat’ has been mentioned in ancient Hindu texts and scriptures like Vishnu Purana, which is believed to be 7,000 years old.

“The term India started being used commonly only after the establishment of the East India Company and the battle of Plassey in 1757,” he said, as per Hindustan Times.

Other changes suggested by the NCERT committee included the introduction of ‘classical history’ and replacing it with ‘ancient history’ in the textbook. Students will also be taught about ‘Hindu victories.’

“Our failures are presently mentioned in the textbooks. But our victories over the Mughals and Sultans are not,” Issac said, as per Hindustan Times.

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