Both 'India' and 'Bharat' will be used alternately in NCERT textbooks, according to NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani. This statement came in response to a proposal to replace 'India' with 'Bharat' in school textbooks, sparking fierce debate. Saklani emphasized that NCERT adheres to the constitution and will use both terms as appropriate.
A high-level committee recommended last year that textbooks should use 'Bharat' instead of 'India.' CI Isaac, the committee's chairperson, also suggested replacing 'ancient history' with 'classical history' in the curriculum. In an interview with PTI, Saklani clarified NCERT's position, stating, “We can use 'India', we can also use 'Bharat'. What's wrong with that? We will use 'India' where appropriate, and 'Bharat' where necessary."
The Congress party criticized NCERT for several decisions, including the omission of Babri Masjid history. Spokesperson Jairam Ramesh accused NCERT of becoming a tool of the ruling party. Former advisors Suhas Palsikar and Yogendra Yadav threatened legal action, asserting that the political history changes were not recommended by them. They stated they would go to court if their names were used anonymously to support these changes.
