New Delhi: The CBSE decided Monday to set up a committee to thoroughly review and strengthen the question paper setting process. This decision came after outrage over a comprehension passage in Class X English exam that allegedly promoted ‘gender stereotyping’ and supported ‘regressive notions’. The CBSE said the passage was not in adherence with the guidelines issued by the board. It expressed regret over the incident.
Earlier, in the day the CBSE said it had dropped the particular passage and accompanying questions from the exam paper. It announced that it will award full marks to students for the said questions.
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“CBSE is committed to equity and excellence in education and promotes inclusiveness and gender sensitivity. CBSE has dropped a passage and accompanying questions which were asked in English term 1 paper for Class X as it was not in adherence with guidelines issued by the board for external paper setters,” the board said in a statement.
“CBSE regrets the unfortunate incident and is setting up an expert committee to thoroughly review and strengthen the question paper setting processes to avoid such occurrences in future,” the board added.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had referred the matter to subject experts Sunday and sought their feedback.
In the Class X exam conducted Saturday, the question paper carried a comprehension passage with sentences such as ‘emancipation of women destroyed the parents’ authority over the children’ and ‘it was only by accepting her husband’s way that a mother could gain obedience over the younger ones’.
Raising the issue in Lok Sabha, Congress president Sonia Gandhi condemned Monday the ‘blatantly misogynist’ and ‘nonsensical’ questions. Sonia said those reflected ‘extremely poorly’ on the standards of education and testing. She demanded an apology from the government and a review into this ‘gravest lapse’.