Home / Education / NCERT Denies Bias in Kannada Textbook
NCERT Denies Bias in Kannada Textbook
25 Jun
Summary
- NCERT clarified that the Kannada textbook title refers to a river, not a deity.
- Allegations of religious and dietary bias in the textbook were deemed baseless.
- Chapter 6 illustrates both vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods for balanced diets.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has formally addressed and rejected allegations concerning religious and dietary bias within its recently released Class 6 Kannada R3 language textbook. Concerns had been raised regarding the textbook's title, "Krishna," and its portrayal of food content.
NCERT clarified that the title "Krishna" specifically refers to the Krishna River, a significant geographical and cultural landmark in Karnataka. This naming follows a consistent pattern for R3 language textbooks, which are typically named after Indian rivers, such as "Ganga" for Hindi and "Kaveri" for English.
The council also dismissed claims that the textbook promotes vegetarianism while omitting non-vegetarian food practices. Chapter 6, "Health is Wealth," focuses on balanced diets, exercise, and cleanliness. Illustrations in this chapter depict both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items, presenting a diverse view of healthy eating. NCERT stressed that the lesson aims to build awareness about healthy eating without favoring any particular dietary practice.
This clarification comes amidst increased public scrutiny of educational curricula. NCERT reiterated its commitment to developing high-quality, inclusive learning materials in adherence to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.
