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The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released a new social science textbook for class sixth, designed with a strong emphasis on the Indian context and cultural heritage. This textbook, titled 'Exploring Society: India and Beyond', is part of the NCERT's effort to revamp its curriculum under the National Education Policy (2020) and the new National Curriculum Framework (NCF), which prioritize a curriculum deeply rooted in India's historical and cultural ethos. This new textbook is a prime example of this approach, delving into the rich history of the country and exploring the origins of its various names, particularly focusing on the significance of 'Bharat' and 'India'.
The textbook's fifth chapter, titled 'India, that is Bharat', examines the different names used to refer to India throughout history, highlighting the ancient inhabitants' use of names like 'Jambudvīpa' and 'Bhārata'. The chapter emphasizes that 'Bhārata' gained widespread use over time and became the name of India in most Indian languages. The text traces the origin of 'Bharata' back to the Ṛig Veda, the oldest of the Vedas, where it refers to a prominent Vedic group of people. It further details how the name 'Bharata' was used to refer to several kings in later literature and eventually evolved to encompass the entire Indian subcontinent. The chapter also points out that 'Bharata' remains in use today, with the name being commonly written as 'Bharat' in North India and 'Bharatam' in South India.
The textbook then dives into the origins of the name 'India' as a term used by foreigners. It explains how foreign visitors and invaders often adopted names derived from the Sindhu or Indus River, leading to names like 'Hindu', 'Indoi', and ultimately 'India'. The textbook highlights that the term 'Hindustān' was initially used in a Persian inscription approximately 1,800 years ago and was employed by most invaders of India to describe the Indian subcontinent. The text further delves into the Persian influence on the name 'India', noting how Persian emperors in the 6th century BCE, after gaining control of the Indus River region, referred to India as 'Hind', 'Hidu', or 'Hindu' in their records and inscriptions. This use of 'Hindu', according to the textbook, was purely geographical and did not refer to the Hindu religion. The text then explains how the ancient Greeks, drawing upon these Persian sources, named the region 'Indoi' or 'Indike', omitting the initial 'h' from 'Hindu' due to the absence of this letter in the Greek alphabet.
The textbook concludes its discussion of India's names by highlighting the Indian Constitution, which, originally written in English, uses the phrase 'India, that is Bharat' at its beginning. The Hindi version of the Constitution uses the equivalent phrase 'Bhārat arthāth India'. It's important to note that a high-level committee formed by the NCERT to revise the social science curriculum last year recommended replacing 'India' with 'Bharat' in all textbooks. The older version of the textbook did not include a comprehensive chapter dedicated to the naming of India.
This new textbook's focus on India's history and cultural heritage is a significant step in the NCERT's ongoing efforts to align the curriculum with the National Education Policy (2020). This policy emphasizes the importance of a curriculum that is rooted in the Indian context and ethos, highlighting the country's rich history, diverse culture, and unique knowledge traditions. This textbook's chapter on the origin of the names 'Bharat' and 'India' is a testament to this policy's vision, encouraging students to explore the complex and fascinating history of their nation and its relationship with the world.