According to CI Isaac, the chairperson of the National Council of Educational Research and Training’s (NCERT) social sciences panel, the committee has unanimously recommended changing the name “India” to “Bharat” in school textbooks.
This recommendation was also included in the panel’s final position paper on social sciences. CI Isaac explained that “India” became more common after the establishment of the East India Company and the Battle of Plassey in 1757, whereas “Bharat” has a history dating back over 5,000 years.
As a result, all seven-panel members decided to suggest the use of “Bharat” in textbooks for students of all classes. Additionally, the panel has proposed the inclusion of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in the curriculum for all subjects and recommended the introduction of ‘classical history’ in place of ‘ancient history’ in history textbooks.
CI Isaac mentioned that the committee has also recommended emphasizing “Hindu victories” in various battles in the textbooks. He stated, “Our failures are presently mentioned in the textbooks, but our victories over the Mughals and sultans are not.” Isaac is also a member of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).
The panel’s recommendations aim to address the inaccuracies in the colonial-era division of Indian history into ancient, medieval, and modern periods, which portrayed ancient Indian history as a period of darkness and scientific unawareness. Therefore, the panel suggests teaching the classical period of Indian history alongside the medieval and modern periods.
