Teachers’ body claims ‘Azad Kashmir’ in Class 10 paper taken from textbook

Bhopal: The teachers’ association in Madhya Pradesh has claimed that the term ‘Azad Kashmir’ , which appeared in a question paper, was taken from the textbook. The term appeared in the social science question paper on Class 10 at the examination held on Saturday.

Two teachers were suspended by Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) after the incident was reported. The teachers who faced the axe were Nitin Singh Jat, a teacher with Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Raisen, who had set the paper, and question paper moderator Rajneesh Jain, a lecturer with Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Narsinghpur.

The action was taken after Chief Minister Kamal Nath expressed anger on the issue. The MPBSE had decided to drop the question during evaluation.

But the teachers’ association blamed authorities for highhandedness and demanded revocation of suspension. “The question asked was taken from the social science textbook. Hence, the teachers didn’t commit any mistake or offence. Since the students were taught social science from the same book it was nothing wrong or unusual that the questions were asked from the same textbook,” said Madhya Pradesh Teachers’ Association president Lachhiram Engle.

As per MPBSE communique, ‘Azad Kashmir’ has used twice in the question paper in question numbers 4 and 26.

“What was wrong in the term used? The teachers or board didn’t declare any part of the country as Azad Kashmir through the question paper. The term used was a part of an objective question which the students were supposed to answer. If the government or authorities had any objection on the term they should not have allowed the term to appear in the textbook in the first place. But in all such matters, only teachers are punished for no fault of theirs while the authorities responsible for the same go unpunished,” said Madhya Pradesh Teachers Congress executive committee member Ashutosh Pandey.

“We are going to meet the education minister Prabhuram Chaudhary and bring to his notice injustice done to the entire teacher community through such a hasty, punitive and unthoughtful action,” he added.

Despite efforts commissioner, DPI couldn’t be reached for comments. The authorities, meanwhile, said they will look into the issue and speak to the teachers to record their replies. (HT)