The Ministry of Education clarified in Parliament that the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) acknowledges both the names “India” and “Bharat” as per the spirit of the Constitution. Earlier, the high-level committee for social sciences, formed by the NCERT to revise the school curriculum, had suggested replacing “India” with “Bharat” in textbooks in October.
Responding to queries from CPI(M) member Elamaram Kareem and CPI’s Sandosh Kumar in the Rajya Sabha, the Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi stated that Article 1 of the Constitution recognises both “India, that is Bharat” as official names, and the NCERT aligns with this constitutional provision without differentiating between the two terms.
The minister emphasised the country’s shift away from a colonial mindset and the promotion of words in Indian languages. NCERT, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education responsible for school curriculum and textbooks, is committed to supporting this shift.
The committee’s recommendation to replace “India” with “Bharat” in textbooks had sparked controversy. The NCERT, however, clarified that no decision had been made on the panel’s recommendations, citing the ongoing process of developing new syllabi and textbooks. The organisation stated that it is premature to comment on the matter at this stage.