National: A controversial move by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has seen several of its English-medium textbooks, including those designed for English language instruction, being assigned Hindi titles written in the Roman script. This decision has ignited a debate, breaking with the established practice of aligning textbook titles with their medium of instruction.
Illustrative of this change is the Class 6 English textbook, previously known as ‘Honeysuckle’, which now bears the Hindi title ‘Poorvi’. ‘Poorvi’ translates to “eastern” in Hindi and is also recognized as a classical music raga. Similarly, the textbooks for Classes 1 and 2 are now titled ‘Mridang’, and those for Class 3 are named ‘Santoor’ – both being names of traditional Indian musical instruments.
This alteration in naming conventions occurs against a backdrop of ongoing discussions surrounding the Centre’s three-language policy in schools, with states like Tamil Nadu expressing strong opposition, viewing it as an imposition of Hindi in non-Hindi-speaking regions.
Historically, NCERT maintained distinct titles for its textbooks across different languages. For instance, the Class 6 Mathematics textbook was titled ‘Mathematics’ in English, ‘Ganit’ in Hindi, and ‘Riyazi’ in Urdu. However, a shift in approach is evident as both the English and Hindi versions of the same textbook are now uniformly titled ‘Ganita Prakash’.
Interestingly, the foreword in the Class 6 English book, penned by NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani, and an introduction by academic coordinator Kirti Kapur, do not provide any explanation for the adoption of the Hindi title ‘Poorvi’. The foreword instead focuses on the inclusion of elements from Indian knowledge systems and cultural heritage, alongside values such as gender equality, digital literacy, and environmental consciousness.
It is noteworthy that this renaming is not universally applied across all subjects. The Class 6 science textbook is now titled ‘Curiosity’ in English, while its Hindi and Urdu counterparts are named ‘Jigyasa’ and ‘Tajassus’, respectively. Similarly, the social science textbook is titled ‘Exploring Society: India and Beyond’ in English and ‘Samaj Ka Adhyayan: Bharat aur Uske Aage’ in Hindi.
A retired linguist, speaking to the media, raised concerns about the potential for mispronunciation due to the use of Roman script for Hindi titles. They pointed out that certain sounds in Hindi, such as the ‘na’ in ‘Ganita’, may not be accurately represented or pronounced using the English alphabet.
NCERT initiated the rollout of these new textbooks in 2023, following the guidelines of the National Education Policy 2020. The books for Classes I and II were the first to be introduced, followed by those for Classes III and VI in 2024. The new textbooks for Classes IV, V, VII, and VIII are currently in the process of being released.