Kerala Minister V Sivankutty criticises NCERT's decision to give Hindi names to English books

Thiruvananthapuram, April 15: The decision to give Hindi titles to English medium textbooks of NCERT is a grave illogicality, Kerala Minister for General Education and Employment V Sivankutty said while criticising the council for its decision to give Hindi names to English-medium books. He further accused the central government of "cultural imposition" and of "sabotaging the linguistic diversity of the country."

"It is absolutely wrong to change the English titles that have been used for decades to respect linguistic diversity and instil a sensitive approach in the minds of children and to shift the focus to Hindi titles like Mridang and Santoor," the state minister said on Monday.

The Minister clarified that Kerala, like other non-Hindi speaking states, is committed to protecting linguistic diversity and giving priority to regional cultural freedom. This decision by NCERT is a step against federal principles and constitutional values, he said.

"The titles in the textbooks are not just names; they shape the perception and imagination of children. English medium students deserve English titles," Sivankutty argued.

Minister Sivankutty demanded that National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) should review and withdraw this decision and that all states unite against such impositions. The minister opined that education should not be an instrument of imposition but of empowerment and consensus.

Recently, NCERT released the new names of books for various classes. Class 1 and Class 2 books are now named as 'Mridang' and a Class 3 book named as 'Santoor'. The Class 6 English book has been renamed from 'Honeysuckle' to 'Poorvi.'

The recent name changes has reignited the language row as multiple ministers of different states, including Kerala and Tamil, accuse the central government of trying to "impose Hindi" on school students through the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP). Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has also criticised the central government for "Hindi imposition" before, claiming that the latter has denied certain funds to state schools for refusing to implement the three language formula in the NEP.

Reader Comments

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Priya K.

Fully agree with Minister Sivankutty! Why fix what isn't broken? Honeysuckle was such a lovely name that kids connected with. Poorvi just feels forced. 😕

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Rahul M.

Interesting perspective, but I think we should give the new names a chance. Mridang actually sounds quite musical and culturally rich. Maybe it's about celebrating our diversity?

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Sunita P.

As a teacher, I'm concerned about the confusion this might cause. Kids already struggle with language transitions, and now we're changing familiar textbook names? Not practical at all.

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Arjun N.

Respectfully disagree with the Minister. The names are beautiful and represent Indian culture. We can't keep clinging to colonial-era naming conventions forever. #EmbraceChange

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Meena S.

The real issue isn't the names but the perception of imposition. If NCERT had consulted states and explained the reasoning better, maybe there wouldn't be such backlash? Communication matters!

K

Karthik R.

I see both sides, but can we at least agree that "Santoor" is a gorgeous name? Reminds me of the beautiful instrument. Maybe some names work better than others in this change.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.