Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has strongly opposed the NCERT's decision to assign Hindi titles to school textbooks, including those in English medium, and has sent a letter to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan regarding the same.
Kerala Education Minister V. Sivankutty has pointed out that the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has proposed giving Hindi names to English textbooks as well. Examples include: "Poorvi" for textbooks in Classes 6 and 7, "Mridang" for textbooks in Classes 3 and 4 and "Ganit Prakash" for the Class 6 mathematics textbook
Sivankutty's letter slams this move, saying it undermines linguistic diversity and educational integrity. "Kerala views this decision as an attempt at cultural homogenisation and a regressive step in the field of education," the Minister said.
He argued that naming textbooks is not merely an aesthetic choice, but an academic one that should consider the linguistic backgrounds of learners. "The justification that these names are derived from Indian classical music terms and hence culturally inclusive does not hold water," he said, adding because imposing names from one linguistic tradition in a multilingual country like India is inappropriate.
"Kerala, which has a rich tradition of linguistic and cultural diversity, considers this move a violation of federal principles and the spirit of cooperative education policy-making," the Minister added.
The letter demands that the Union Education Ministry intervene immediately and ensure that textbooks are not used as tools for linguistic dominance, but remain tools for learning and inclusivity. The minister concluded by stating that NCERT must be instructed to reconsider and withdraw this unilateral decision.
