"Not Acceptable:" Pinarayi Vijayan On NCERT Committee Recommendations On Replacing 'India’ With ‘Bharat’ In Textbooks
As NCERT Textbook row is brewing, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan ascertained that the educational body“s recent proposal to replace “India” with “Bharat” in textbooks is not acceptable.
Taking to X, Mr Vijayan claimed that since Constitution accepts both names, the change is Sangh Parivar”s attempt to thrust “divisive communalism in our educational institutions and curriculum.” He requested the citizens to protect the essence of India, a nation built on the principles of unity.
The recent proposal by NCERT to replace “India” with “Bharat” in textbooks is not acceptable. Our Constitution recognizes both names, and this change appears to be another step in the Sangh Parivar”s ongoing effort to impose their divisive communalism in our educational…
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) October 26, 2023
Similarly, Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty said that the state rejects recommendations given by the NCERT”s high-level committee. “Kerala rejects the recommendations given by the NCERT committee for social sciences…Citizens have the right to use India or Bharat as mentioned in the Constitution…,” Minister said. Kerala also rejects the move to twist historical facts, he asserted.
Mr Sivankutty continued and said that when the educational body removed certain portions from textbooks earlier, the state have included it in the syllabus as additional textbooks. Continuing further, Minister said: “If NCERT intends to teach children through textbooks things that are unconstitutional, unscientific and distorting the real history, then Kerala will defend itself by having debates academically.”
He also said that the government will organise the State Curriculum Committee and discuss preparation of 44 textbooks focusing academic intersts.
