NCERT Panel Suggests Only ‘Bharat’ In Textbooks

Relevance: GS2 - Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure

(Source: The Hindu, 10/26/2023)

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Why in the news?

Recently, a high-level committee set up by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to revise the social sciences curriculum recommended that ‘India’ be replaced with ‘Bharat’ in school textbooks.

What are the recommendations of the panel?

• Replace India with Bharat: The panel recommended the replacement of India in NCERT school textbooks with the word ‘Bharat’.
  • The panel made a unanimous recommendation in favor of the change in all textbooks from the primary to the high school level.
• Curriculum revision: The panel recommended focusing equally on all dynasties to have ruled in India, instead of just one or two.
  • New discoveries (historical, archeological, and others) occurring in the country must be included in the syllabus.
  • Indian victories should be made a big part of the curriculum.
  • Historical events in the post-1947 period must also be introduced into the syllabus and the number of hours allocated for pre-independence can be reduced.
  • It suggested that the term ‘ancient history’ be substituted with the term ‘classical period of Indian history’.
  • The Indian Knowledge System should be given more importance in the curriculum to teach students about the achievements, history, and culture of the country.

2022 Social Sciences Committee

• It is headed by Prof. C.I Issac, a retired history professor, member of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), and Padma Shri awardee.
• Other members: ICHR chairperson Raguvendra Tanwar, Jawaharlal Nehru University professor Vandana Mishra, and archaeologist Vasant Shinde, a former Vice-Chancellor of Deccan College Deemed University.

What has been the response to the recommendations?

• NCERT: NCERT claimed that the development of the new syllabus and textbooks was an ongoing process that was being conducted by Curricular Area Groups of domain experts notified by the NCERT.
• Criticism: Critics including Opposition parties have criticized the move claiming that it was a step to distort the country’s history as India and Bharat were equal.

What is the debate around India and Bharat?

• During the G20 Summit hosted by India in September 2023, the Union government used “President of Bharat” instead of “President of India” in the invites, leading to a debate over the use of Bharat and India.
• Critics have raised concerns about the Indian government's use of the term "Bharat" in official invitations, especially in light of Hindu-nationalist ideology and the administration's efforts to promote Hindi.
• Some have interpreted this choice of terminology as an indication of the government's intention to potentially change the official name of the country.
• Under Prime Minister Modi's leadership and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, there has been a significant focus on renaming towns and cities with names rooted in the colonial era.

Origin of the Terms

• Bharat: The roots of “Bharat”, “Bharata”, or “Bharatvarsha” are traced back to Puranic literature, and the Mahabharata.
  • In the Puranas, Bharata is described as the land between the “sea in the south and the abode of snow in the north”.
  • Bharata is also the name of the ancient king who was the ancestor of the Rig Vedic tribe of the Bharatas.
• India: When Alexander the Great invaded India in the 3rd century BC, ‘India’ was used to refer to the area beyond the Indus River.

• Constitutional perspective: According to Article 1 of the Constitution, India, that is Bharat shall be a Union of States.
  • Article 52 states that there shall be a President of India i.e. the official nomenclature of the head of state.
  • The word Bharat is used in the Hindi translation of the Constitution, but it does not appear as an independent word in the original Constitution in other languages.
  • Article 394A (2) emphasizes that the translation of the Constitution has the same meaning as the original.
• Debates in the Constituent Assembly:
  • Jawaharlal Nehru referred to “India”, “Bharata” and “Hindustan” in his Discovery of India, but “Hindustan” was dropped when India was named in the Constitution.
  • The initial debate on the use of Bharat or India in Article 1 was postponed at the suggestion of Govind Ballabh Pant.
  • The final draft of the Constitution presented by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on September 17, 1949, included both 'Bharat' and 'India'.
  • Seth Govind Das from Jabalpur recommended that Bharat be placed above "India," emphasizing that the latter was merely a translation of the former in English.
  • Hari Vishnu Kamath cited the example of the Irish Constitution citing that the Irish Free State had changed its name on gaining freedom, and its constitution referred to this change in both Irish (Eire) and English (Ireland).
  • Hargovind Pant advocated for 'Bharatvarsha' claiming that 'India' was a name imposed by foreign rulers who had colonized India for its wealth, and clinging to it would be an acknowledgment of that insulting history.
  • Seth Govind Das supported 'Bharat,' emphasizing that it reflected the country's rich history and culture without hindering progress.
  • Dr. B.R. Ambedkar argued that the name 'India' be retained due to its historical continuity and recognition among foreign nations as the country had already signed international agreements under that name and was a member of the United Nations.

Significance of the name change

• Identity and Cultural Significance: The proposal to change India's official name from "India" to "Bharat" has historical and cultural importance.
  • "Bharat" has deep roots in Hindu mythology and ancient texts, symbolizing the rich traditions and identity of India.
• Decolonizing Identity and Asserting Cultural Heritage: Renaming a country is a tool to decolonize their identities and assert their cultural heritage.
  • For example: Burkina Faso changed its name from Upper Volta in 1960 after gaining independence from France in 1960.
• Inspiration for Other Third World Nations: It would encourage other countries to explore and assert their cultural and historical identities.
• Global Influence: Preserving cultural identity is necessary to promote cultural diplomacy and soft power competition which is a potent tool in modern diplomacy.

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FAQs

MCQs

Question: Which of the following works of Indian literature can the word Bharat as a name for the country be traced back to?

(a) Puranas

(b) Vedas

(c) Upanishads

(d) Ramayana