CBSE drops controversial passage from Class 10 English paper after outrage

The English examination conducted on Saturday contained a passage with sentences such as 'emancipation of women destroyed the parent's authority over the children' and 'it was only by accepting her husband's way that a mother could gain obedience over the younger ones'

Photo for representational purpose only. File

New Delhi, December 13

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday dropped a comprehension passage and the accompanying questions from the Class-10 English exam and decided to award full marks for it to students, following an outrage over the board allegedly promoting “gender stereotyping” and supporting “regressive notions”.

The CBSE had referred the matter to subject experts on Sunday and sought their feedback.

In the Class-10 exam conducted on 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”, among others.

Excerpts from the passage have gone viral on social media platforms with users calling out the board for supporting “misogynistic” and “regressive opinions” and the hashtag “#CBSEinsultswomen” trending on Twitter.

Apologise for blatantly misogynistic Q passage: Sonia Gandhi to Education Ministry, CBSE

“A passage in one set of English language and literature paper of CBSE Class-10 first-term examination held on December 11 is not in accordance with the guidelines of the board with regard to the setting of question papers. In this backdrop and on the basis of the feedback received from the stakeholders, the matter was referred to a committee of subject experts. According to its recommendation, it has been decided to drop the passage and the accompanying questions,” CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said.

Chairperson, Delhi Commission for Women, Swati Maliwal said, notice has been issue to CBSE for an offensive misogynistic passage in its Class X Board Exam paper.

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

"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!" she tweeted.

Most #CBSE papers so far were too difficult and the comprehension passage in the English paper was downright disgusting.

Typical RSS-BJP ploys to crush the morale and future of the youth.

Kids, do your best.
Hard work pays. Bigotry doesn’t.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) 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

pic.twitter.com/hgR6N5wzZR
— CBSE HQ (@cbseindia29) December 13, 2021

Passage on women in CBSE's English question paper is very shameful & utter disgusting.
Through the new education policy, the Modi government is working to promote the misogynistic ideology of RSS, we will continue our fight for #ShikshaBachaoDeshBachao against this narrow mindset pic.twitter.com/b2gV5iondh
— NSUI (@nsui) December 13, 2021