Centre Dismisses Kerala’s Demand To Reconsider ‘India’ to ‘Bharat’ Textbook Recommendation

New Delhi: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has rejected the Kerala Government’s plea to reconsider the recent proposal by an NCERT panel to replace ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in school textbooks.

Pradhan, in response to a letter from Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty, asserted that the Constitution recognizes both terms. The NCERT-appointed Sociology Committee suggested the change, stating both ‘India’ and ‘Bharat’ are acceptable, with no preference for either.

Pradhan’s letter highlighted that Article 1 of the Constitution acknowledges “India, that is Bharat,” allowing the interchangeable use of both names. Kerala’s Education Minister had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pradhan, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the existing practice for educational continuity and national unity.

Sivankutty argued that altering the name from ‘India’ could lead to confusion, disrupting the educational system’s continuity rooted in the nation’s diverse cultural heritage.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan firmly rejected the NCERT panel’s recommendation, urging citizens to unite and protect India’s essence. He linked this proposal to recent exclusions from textbooks, such as Mughal history, and the banning of the RSS post-Gandhi’s assassination, portraying the move as politically motivated.