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Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty has strongly criticised the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) for its recent move to rename English-medium school textbooks with Hindi titles. Calling the decision “irrational” and a “violation of common logic,” Sivankutty urged the Centre to immediately review the decision and called on other states to stand united against such linguistic impositions.
The minister’s statement comes amid growing concerns among non-Hindi-speaking states over the perceived push to promote Hindi through the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The neighbouring Tamil Nadu government, led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), has been a vocal critic of the NEP’s three-language policy, labelling it an attempt to impose Hindi on southern states.
“Violation of common logic”
Sivankutty, who is also a leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said, “The NCERT decision is against federal principles and Constitutional values. It is not only a violation of common logic but also an attempt to foist one’s cultural values on others, thereby sabotaging the linguistic diversity of our country.”
Until now, English-medium textbooks in schools carried English titles. However, under the new move, the Class 6 English textbook previously titled Honeysuckle will now be renamed Poorvi a Hindi word meaning ‘Eastern’ and also the name of a Hindustani classical raga. Similarly, the Class 1 textbook will be renamed Mridang and the Class 3 book Santoor, both terms rooted in Indian classical music.
Sivankutty said such a change disregards the rich linguistic fabric of India. “It is absolutely wrong to change English titles that have been used for decades. Titles are not just names they influence how children perceive and imagine the world. English-medium students deserve English titles,” he said.
He further emphasized Kerala’s commitment to protecting linguistic and cultural diversity. “Education should not be an instrument of imposition but of empowerment and consensus. We urge all non-Hindi-speaking states to stand together in safeguarding regional cultural freedom,” the minister added.
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