The committee responsible for the revision of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has suggested the replacement of ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in all Social Science textbooks up to Class 12. The move, however, has not been without controversy.
The proposal to rename ‘India’ as ‘Bharat’ was put forth by the 2022 Social Science committee. Chairman Prof CI Issac, a renowned historian and Padma Shri awardee, expressed hope with Indian Express that this change would be implemented in the upcoming academic year, pending approval from the NCERT.
In response to this recommendation, the NCERT director informed News18 that, at this stage, it is merely a suggestion and has not received formal approval. “We have not accepted anything at the moment. The panel has submitted their report,” stated the NCERT director. The proposal itself was introduced several months ago.
This development has ignited controversy and criticism, with the opposition raising concerns about the replacement of ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in official documents. The controversy emerged when an invitation for an ASEAN event referred to Prime Minister Modi as the “Prime Minister of Bharat,” marking the first official use of the term. The opposition has voiced their objections, sparking a broader debate about the use of ‘Bharat’ in place of ‘India’ in government-related materials.