General Education Minister V. Sivankutty has written to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, expressing strong opposition to the latest decision of the National Council on Education Research and Training (NCERT), naming Hindi names as school textbooks.
In a letter to the Union Minister on Saturday, Mr. Siwankuti expressed serious concern about the “obvious disregard for the linguistic diversity of our country”. The decision to assign names in Hindi (even in English secondary textbooks), such as Purvi (English 6 and 7), Mrdang (English 1 and 2), Santoor (English 3 and 4) and Ganita Prakash and Ganita Prakash (Ganita Prakash) (English and Hindi Versions of Class 6 Mathematics textbooks), who had a long attitude toward their writing, and had an uneasy practice in their minds. Mr Sivankutty wrote that it undermined the spirit of federalism contained in our constitution.
Language majority
“This unilateral move by NCERT contradicts the principles of inclusion and linguistic diversity that are crucial to our educational framework. It is frustrating that Necert does not celebrate and reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity in India, but rather takes measures to promote homogeneity by linguistic signs.”
The reasons provided (these names are all based on elements of Indian classical music and are the same throughout the region – do not exist in the context of language teaching. The naming of textbooks is not merely an artistic choice, but a teaching manual that must resonate with the language context of its intended users. The rich musical heritage of our country is expressed in many languages, and it is misleading and exclusive to simplifying this variety into names drawn from only one language tradition.
Multilingual heritage
“Kerala is a state with a proud multilingual heritage and a vibrant educational tradition that is full of concern for this development. Our classroom celebrates diversity, not only ideologically but language. To achieve unity in the name of culture, not only without any cause of education, but also harmful to the cause of education.”
He urged the Ministry of Education to direct NCERT’s practice of restoring named textbooks based on the language it published. Textbooks should remain tools for learning, not language dominance, calling for curriculum corrections from coalition governments, he said.
publishing – April 19, 2025 08:15 pm ist
