The High-Level Panel for Social Sciences, convened by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), has put forth recommendations for the modification of textbooks intended for students in classes 5 through 12. The committee, chaired by CI Issac, expressed its proposal to substitute the term 'India' with 'Bharat' in these educational materials, as reported by PTI and several other media outlets on October 25. Furthermore, the suggested alterations encompass the adoption of "classical history" nomenclature in lieu of "ancient history" within the curriculum, along with the incorporation of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) into the syllabus for all subjects, according to credible sources.
It is notable that as of now, the Ministry of Education has refrained from providing an official statement on this matter. As disclosed by PTI, NCERT officials have affirmed that no definitive decision has been reached concerning the panel's recommendations. Issac, the committee's spokesperson, remarked, "The committee has collectively endorsed the utilization of the term 'Bharat' in educational materials across different classes. We have also put forth the proposal to incorporate 'classical history' nomenclature in place of 'ancient history' within the textbooks." He also articulated the committee's inclination to emphasize "Hindu victories" in various historical battles in the textbooks. Issac, who concurrently serves as a member of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), added, "While our failures are currently documented in the textbooks, our triumphs over the Mughals and sultans are conspicuously absent."
These recommendations have emerged within the context of NCERT's ongoing revision of the school textbook curriculum, aligning it with the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020. The council has recently established a 19-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) with the aim of finalizing the curriculum, textbooks, and learning materials for these aforementioned classes. Other members of this committee include Raghuvendra Tanwar, Chairperson of ICHR, Vandana Mishra, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Vasant Shinde, former vice-chancellor of Deccan College Deemed University, and Mamta Yadav, who imparts sociology instruction in a Haryana government school.
In a related development, the government had previously announced substantial changes to the educational curriculum framework in August, which allowed students to take board exams twice a year and retain their best scores. As stated by the Education Ministry, "Board exams will be offered at least twice a year to ensure students have enough time and opportunity to perform well. Students can then appear for a board exam in subjects they have completed and feel ready for. They will also be allowed to retain the best score." The new curriculum, in accordance with the NEP, is already prepared, and textbooks based on this curriculum will be developed for the academic session of 2024, as confirmed by relevant officials.