The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has stirred controversy by assigning Hindi names—written in Roman script—to several new English-medium textbooks, including English language books.
This marks a departure from the long-standing practice of aligning textbook titles with the medium of instruction.
For instance, the Class 6 English textbook previously titled Honeysuckle is now named Poorvi, a Hindi word meaning “eastern” and also the name of a classical raga. Similarly, textbooks for Classes 1 and 2 are now called Mridang, and the Class 3 book is titled Santoor—both names of Indian musical instruments.
These changes coincide with ongoing resistance in states like Tamil Nadu to the Centre’s three-language policy, which critics view as an attempt to impose Hindi on non-Hindi-speaking regions.
Historically, NCERT used distinct titles for different languages. For example, the Class 6 mathematics book was named Mathematics in English, Ganit in Hindi, and Riyazi in Urdu. Now, both English and Hindi versions share the title Ganita Prakash.
The preface of the Class 6 English book—authored by NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani and academic coordinator Kirti Kapur—does not clarify the rationale behind choosing Hindi titles like Poorvi. It only mentions that the textbook incorporates elements from Indian traditions, promotes values like gender equality, and encourages digital and environmental awareness.
Interestingly, the naming convention hasn’t been applied uniformly. The new Class 6 science textbook retains an English title—Curiosity—while its Hindi and Urdu versions are named Jigyasa and Tajassus.
The social science textbook is called Exploring Society: India and Beyond in English, and Samaj Ka Adhyayan: Bharat aur Uske Aage in Hindi.
Experts have expressed concern that using Hindi names in Roman script may lead to mispronunciations. A retired linguist pointed out that certain sounds, like the ‘na’ in Ganita, can be inaccurately spoken when written in Roman letters.
NCERT began introducing textbooks under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in 2023, starting with Classes 1 and 2. New books for Classes 3 and 6 followed in 2024, with releases for Classes 4, 5, 7, and 8 now underway.
