CBSE to Review Textbooks by Private Publishers

The CBSE decided the move after a textbook suggested that students can watch a kitten die if they put it in a box without holes.

The Central Boards of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday announced that it will review the textbooks by private publishers used at schools affiliated with the board. The CBSE decided the move after consultation with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD).

Private textbooks came into the limelight when some of these books were found to contain controversial material were being used by schools. This included an environmental science book that explained the procedure for killing a kitten which caused a stir among animal rights activists. The textbook had suggested that students can watch a kitten die if they put it in a box without holes.

The move has also been influenced by a Sociology textbook for class 12 students which suggested that the reasons behind dowry being a prevalent issue in the country is due to a girl’s “ugliness” and physical.

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After many parents’ complaints about being forced to buy costly textbooks from private publishers, the board, recently, has also made NCERT textbooks compulsory for the academic session of 2017-18 to standardise study materials for schools across the country.

The CBSE has directed schools to raise their demands for the mandated textbooks. To ensure proper distribution, the board has set up 680 empanelled distribution vendors across the country through whom the schools can receive proper books.

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*This article first appeared in Indian Express.