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Bihar mentions Kashmir as country in class 7 question paper, BJP demands probe

 



The particular question that has created controversy was in the English paper. "What are the people of the following countries called? One has been done for you."



Bihar Education Minister Chandrashekhar Singh (Centre) on Wednesday assured a probe into the mess.


Bihar Education Minister Chandrashekhar Singh on Wednesday assured a probe after a question paper in the half-yearly examinations for Class VII students in Bihar's Kishanganj and Katihar districts mentioned Kashmir as a country.


“It is a serious matter. An inquiry will be conducted even if top officials are involved,” he said.


Bihar's education department is conducting mid-term exams for students of classes I to VIII from October 12, which concluded on October 18.


The particular question that has created controversy was in the English paper. "What are the people of the following countries called? One has been done for you."


It asked, citing the example of China, "Since the people of China are called Chinese, what are the people of Nepal, England, Kashmir and India called?"


Pranav Shankar Jha, quality coordinator of Bihar Education Project Council in Kishanganj, which is in charge of printing queries in the district, said, “We are looking into the matter.”



Kishanganj District Education Officer (DEO) Subhash Kumar Gupta said, “Every district has been provided with a booklet of model questions and questions have been set from this booklet. Whatever the question was in the handbook, it was printed verbatim."


Gupta, however, admitted that it was a mistake. "It should have been watched carefully."


HT has a copy of the model questions.


Meanwhile, the opposition BJP in Bihar has demanded a probe into the matter.


Bihar BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal said, "In Seemanchal comprising four districts of Araria, Purnia, Katihar and Kishanganj, hundreds of government schools remain closed on Fridays instead of Sundays. Now, showing Kashmir as a separate nation is another step to disintegrate India."


He alleged that the Popular Front of India (PFI) was running the administration in Seemanchal with the connivance of the government.


Bihar BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand said, "Has Nitish Kumar sitting in RJD's lap openly started running religious appeasement, anti-national and pro-Pakistan agenda for vote bank politics?


Recently, it emerged that over 500 government schools in four districts of Seemanchal have shifted their weekly holiday from Sunday to Friday without any specific guidelines from the government.

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