Sivankutty alleged that the recommendation by an NCERT-constituted advisory committee for social sciences was part of a larger design to “saffronise” education.”This is an attempt to alter the history of India – an undemocratic move that shows scant regard for education and reflects the narrow-mindedness of those behind it,” he said.
The advisory committee, headed by historian C I Issac, based its proposal on the fact that this part of the subcontinent came to be known as India after the British crown took over from the East India Company in 1858. “Before that, in puranas and in all literary writings, including that of Kalidas, the entire region was known as Bharat,” Isaac, a native of Kerala, told TOI from Sharjah.
The panel’s report recommending switching to “Bharat” in textbooks from classes VII to XII was submitted to NCERT last year, he said.
‘Premature to comment’: NCERT on replacing ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in new textbooks
Minister Sivankutty, however, said that Kerala would stand up to the alleged attempt by the BJP-led government at the Centre to “dump” all constitutional values.
“Kerala rejects, at the outset, recommendations received by NCERT regarding the revision of the social science syllabus,” he said. “We are the only state that previously responded to large-scale unscientific shedding of lessons in NCERT textbooks. Kerala will take a similar stand if attempts are made to force the new set of recommendations as decisions.”
Kerala uses 44 NCERT books in classes XI and XII. Textbooks for classes I to X are those recommended by the state curriculum committee.
Issac said the panel recommended NCERT use the word “classical period” instead of “ancient period” in textbooks.
What’s in a name – Bharat or India? We asked जनता