Politics Behind NCERT’s Textbook Renaming
09 May 2025 | Dipak Kurmi
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has recently invited scrutiny and sparked nationwide debate with a seemingly innocuous change — the renaming of English textbooks for Classes VI, VII, and VIII from titles like Honeysuckle to Hindi names such as Poorvi, Mridang, and Santoor. Defended by officials as an attempt to infuse Indian artistic and cultural ethos into educational materials, this decision is anything but benign. On closer examination, it reveals a deeper ideological project rooted in linguistic majoritarianism, symbolic assertion of northern cultural dominance, and a dangerous homogenisation that threatens the pluralistic character of Indian society.
According to the NCERT, these new names are drawn from India’s rich artistic traditions and are not merely “Hindi” but pan-Indian cultural symbols. Poorvi, for instance, is explained not just as a Hindi word but as a raga in Hindustani classical music — a metaphor, they claim, for the harmony of an eastern dawn. By evoking the realm of classical music, these names are purportedly elevated above the domain of language and placed in a universal cultural register. Yet, this narrative is disingenuous at best. It overlooks the immediate and material reality of how language operates in Indian classrooms, particularly in regions where Hindi is neither spoken nor understood…