New Delhi: A High-level committee constituted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) recommends replacing the name ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in school textbooks and introducing ‘classical History’ instead of ancient History in the curriculum
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has constituted a high-level committee to revise the school curriculum. The committee, headed by CI Issac, has recommended replacing the name ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in school textbooks and introducing ‘classical History’ instead of ancient History in the curriculum.
The committee has argued that the name ‘India’ is a colonial construct and that the name ‘Bharat’ is more reflective of India’s true identity. The committee has also argued that ancient History is too Eurocentric and that classical History is more relevant to Indian students.
The committee’s recommendations have been met with mixed reactions. Some people have welcomed the recommendations, arguing that they will help to decolonize Indian education and promote Indian culture. Others have criticized the recommendations, arguing that they are politically motivated and that they will distort Indian history.
The committee recommended that the name ‘India’ is a colonial construct. The word ‘India’ comes from the Old Persian word ‘Hind’, which is a reference to the Indus River Valley Civilization. The Indus River Valley Civilization was conquered by the Persians in the 6th century BC. The Persians called the region ‘Hind’ and the Greeks called it ‘India’. The British adopted the name ‘India’ when they colonized the region in the 18th century.
It also claimed that the name ‘Bharat’ is more reflective of India’s true identity. The name ‘Bharat’ comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Bhāratavarsha’, which means ‘the land of Bharata’. Bharata was a legendary king who is said to have united India. The name ‘Bharat’ is also mentioned in the Rig Veda, which is one of the oldest Hindu scriptures.
Besides, India and Bharat controversy, the committee revealed that Ancient History is too Eurocentric. Ancient History is typically taught from a Western perspective. This means that students learn more about the history of Greece and Rome than they learn about the history of India. The committee has argued that ancient History is not relevant to Indian students and that it should be replaced with classical History. Classical History is more relevant to Indian students. Classical History is the study of the Gupta Empire, the Chola Empire, and other Indian empires that flourished between the 4th and 12th centuries AD. The committee has argued that classical History is more relevant to Indian students because it deals with the history of India during a period of great cultural and intellectual achievement.
The recommendations of the high-level committee constituted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to revise the school curriculum are likely to generate a lot of debate. The recommendations are significant because they have the potential to change the way that Indian history is taught in schools. However, it is important to note that the recommendations are still just proposals. The NCERT has not yet finalized the new school curriculum.
It is important to have a public discussion about the committee’s recommendations before they are implemented. The public should be able to weigh in on the issue of whether or not the name ‘India’ should be replaced with ‘Bharat’ in school textbooks and whether or not ancient History should be replaced with classical History in the curriculum.