Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan responded to the suggestions from an NCERT panel proposing the replacement of ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in school textbooks, emphasizing the constitutional usage of both terms. Governor Khan emphasized that the Constitution employs both ‘India’ and ‘Bharat’ without any proposed amendments.
The recommendations were put forth by a seven-member Committee for Social Sciences, formed by the NCERT to compile position papers on various subjects. Historian CI Issac, heading the panel, highlighted that the term ‘India’ gained prominence after the establishment of the East India Company and the Battle of Plassey in 1757. He underscored the committee’s unanimous suggestion to include ‘Bharat’ in textbooks across various grades.
Amidst the discussions surrounding the proposed change, several opposition leaders, including Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, criticized the move, considering it a political decision. Chaturvedi emphasized that ‘India’ is synonymous with ‘Bharat’ and ‘Hindustan’, asserting that altering the name would not reflect well on the nation’s pride.
Furthermore, the NCERT, in response to media reports, stated that it was premature to comment on the matter. They noted that the development of a new syllabus and textbooks is currently underway, with groups of domain experts actively involved in the process.
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