The NCERT has used Sanskrit terms in the social science textbook for Class VII this year.
Part I of the textbook, Exploring Society India and Beyond, guides students on how to read the Sanskrit texts written in Roman script with diacritical signs.
“However, as we are using only a few simple signs, you will find it easy to get used to them. You will also find that they help you pronounce Sanskrit words fairly correctly,” said the book in a section titled “Your Journey Through This Textbook”.
It goes on to say that a short dash, called macron, over a vowel indicates that it is pronounced with a long sound. “For instance, dānā is pronounced ‘daana’; līlā is pronounced ‘leelaa’; sūtra is sootra,” it said.
Anita Rampal, former dean of education at Delhi University and former chairperson of the NCERT’s primary textbook development committees, said the concepts and the language used in the textbook would add to the burden of students.
Rampal cited the concept of “empire” explained in the chapter titled “The Rise of Empire”. The chapter says the word “empire” comes from the Latin ‘Imperium’, which means ‘Supreme Power’.
“In ancient Sanskrit texts, words commonly used for ‘emperor’ made this clear; they included samraj, meaning ‘the lord of all’ or ‘supreme ruler’; ‘adhiraja’ or ‘overlord’; and rajadhiraja or ‘king of kings’,” it states.
Rampal said the language used to explain the concept was difficult to understand.
“The paragraph is loaded with information and many new, unfamiliar words, both in English and in Sanskrit. The claim that Sanskrit words like samraj and adhiraja are easier to comprehend for children and that they can understand the related concepts is completely misplaced. The main problem is that there is little understanding of and responsiveness to ways children at a given age, from diverse backgrounds, understand and make sense of such difficult and abstract concepts,” she said.