The court last month had directed the government to reply to a public interest litigation which challenged its use in higher class text-books in Maharashtra.
A division bench of Justice Naresh Patil and Justice A S Gadkari on January 15 heard a PIL filed in 2013 by Dakshata Shet saying "Sindhu" is used in anthem of class X, XI and XII textbooks printed by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. She urged direction for the text-books to be withdrawn/ destroyed and to have the correct national anthem published.
Shet submitted nothing has changed even in this academic term and in some books while "Sindhu" is retained, in others the anthem does not figure. She argued that while the Bombay HC and Supreme Court's judgments have upheld the use of "Sindh", the State is following a 1953 Ministry of Home Affairs circular issued by Ministry of Home Affairs to use "Sindhu.
Centre's advocate submitted that the government had told SC that both words can be used. The judges said the SC judgment says Sindh should not be considered as a geographical region and also that the structure of the anthem should not go on changing as and when the territories undergo changes. "It does not say whether "Sindh" or "Sindhu" should be used. What the government of India is following , will have to followed," said Justice Patil. However, the bench sought the response of the Centre within three weeks.
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