Education Ministry affirms NCERT's uniform treatment of India and Bharat

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) explicitly clarified in response to Parliament that it does not differentiate between 'India' and 'Bharat.' The Union Ministry of Education emphasized that the NCERT acknowledges the constitutional recognition of both terms and uses them interchangeably.

Constitutional recognition

Referring to Article 1 of the Constitution, which states, "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States," the ministry highlighted that the Constitution officially recognizes both 'India' and 'Bharat' as the country's names. The statement clarified that NCERT aligns with this constitutional spirit.

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The ministry stated that the nation is collectively moving away from the colonial mindset and encourages the usage of words in Indian languages. Emphasizing the role of NCERT in shaping school curriculum and textbooks, the ministry affirmed the commitment to furthering this approach.

Controversial recommendation

The clarification follows a controversy sparked by a high-level NCERT committee's recommendation in October to replace the name 'India' with 'Bharat' in textbooks. The move triggered political debates, with the opposition alleging election-driven motives and connecting it to a political grouping opposing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

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Despite the recommendation, NCERT maintained that no final decision had been taken on implementing the panel's suggestions. The development of new syllabi and textbooks is an ongoing process, and various domain expert groups are being involved in the curriculum revision.