Hindi titles for English textbooks: Minister Sivankutty blasts NCERT, writes to Centre

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Saturday urged the Union Government to intervene in the National Council of Educational Research and Training’s (NCERT) decision to assign Hindi titles to English-medium school textbooks, calling it a “disturbing departure” from established norms.

In a letter addressed to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Sivankutty expressed “grave concern” over the move and alleged that it undermines the linguistic diversity of the country and the federal structure of the Constitution.

“The decision to name English-medium textbooks in Hindi reflects a clear disregard for India's linguistic plurality. It is a unilateral move that contradicts the inclusive values upon which our education system is built,” he wrote.

The minister said textbooks have traditionally been titled in the language they are written in, and deviating from this practice erodes accessibility and comprehension for students, especially in non-Hindi-speaking regions like Kerala.

Sivankutty urged the Centre to take immediate corrective measures, warning that the NCERT’s decision could set a worrying precedent in the national education landscape.

"It is disheartening that instead of celebrating and reflecting the cultural and linguistic diversity of India, NCERT appears to be taking steps that promote homogenisation through linguistic imposition," Sivankutty further charged.

Stating that naming of a textbook is not a mere artistic choice but a pedagogical one, he said that it must resonate with the linguistic background of its intended users.

"The rich musical heritage of our country is expressed in many tongues, and to reduce this variety to names drawn solely from one linguistic tradition is misleading and exclusionary," he said apparently referring to the proposed titles like Purvi (Classes 6 and 7 English), Mridang (Classes 1 and 2 English) and so on.

Kerala, as a state with a proud multilingual heritage and a vibrant tradition of education, views this development with serious concern, he said adding that imposing uniformity in the name of culture is not only unwarranted but also detrimental to the cause of education.

"I urge the Ministry of Education to immediately intervene in this matter and direct NCERT to restore the practice of naming textbooks in accordance with the language in which they are published," he said.

The state minister wanted the textbooks to remain as tools for learning, not instruments of linguistic dominance.

"I look forward to your immediate attention to this issue and a corrective course of action from the Centre," Sivankutty added in the letter. PTI