In an age when topics like feminism, boycotting regressive practices, abolishing patriarchal mindsets, gender equality are becoming conversation starters, the Central Board Of Secondary Education (CBSE) got into soup for allegedly promoting ‘gender stereotyping’ and supporting ‘regressive notions’.
People were irked when a comprehension passage from a Class-10 English exam paper went viral. The passage stated that since earlier the father was the master of his house, kids were more disciplined, reported The Indian Express.
It further read that “it was only by accepting her husband’s way that a mother could gain obedience over the younger ones.” Towards the end, it stated that “emancipation of women destroyed the parent’s authority over the children.”
The passage also highlighted that “children and servants were in this way taught to know their place.”
The problematic passage grabbed a lot of negative attention with people bashing the board of education for instilling such nonsensical views on the students.
This is pathetic CBSE!
This is not the idea of India. pic.twitter.com/LHluu9KmBw
— Surya Pratap Singh IAS Rtd. (@suryapsingh_IAS) December 13, 2021
Class 10 CBSE English paper today says children and servants must be taught their place and women gaining some independence destroyed parents authority over children. Entire passage is so stupid. Who are these idiots setting question paper in CBSE? pic.twitter.com/txTRsL1Knx
— Jayaram Venkatesan (@JayaramArappor) December 11, 2021
CBSE published an offensive & misogynistic passage in its Class X Board Exam paper! It states that emancipation of women & her refusal to let her husband be master has led to teenagers going astray! What BS!
Issued Notice to CBSE. Action shud be taken against those responsible! pic.twitter.com/1E3ii8w2ut
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) December 13, 2021
This outrageously nonsensical reading passage appeared in the 10th CBSE board exam paper today. What are we teaching our children? CBSE has to give an explanation and tender an apology for inflicting our children with this.@Jairam_Ramesh @jothims @kavithamurali
Extracts follow+ pic.twitter.com/QInuqaBAaE— Lakshmi Ramachandran (@laksr_tn) December 11, 2021
The aggressive trolling online forced the authorities to take down the passage and award full marks to the students for this question.
As the passage in one set of question paper in class X English Exam is not in accordance with guidelines of the board with regard to setting of question papers, it has been decided to drop the question and award full marks to the students for this passage . pic.twitter.com/IHfoUJSy2O
— CBSE HQ (@cbseindia29) December 13, 2021
Even though the CBSE headquarters decided to take down the passage, the question is, why was an online outrage needed to highlight the problems in the passage? Why weren’t the questions prepared in accordance to the guidelines, if any?