Content in CBSE book ‘sexist’, says Prakash Javadekar

New Delhi: A day after a social media outrage broke over excerpts from a Class 12 textbook defining a perfect female body, Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday condemned the said definition as “sexist”. He has ordered action in the matter even as the private publisher has decided to stop the printing and sale of the book.

Excerpts from the Physical Education textbook, which went viral and irked negative reactions read, “36-24-36 shape of females is considered the best. That is why in Miss World or Miss Universe competitions, such type of shape is also taken into consideration”. Various Twitter users shared picture of the mentioned text and demanded that the publishers withdraw the content and schools replace the book in their curriculum. The book, titled Health and Physical Education, is taught at various schools affiliated to CBSE. “The text is unacceptable. I have instructed the officers to take appropriate action,” Mr Javadekar said.

CBSE, however, clarified that it “does not recommend any books by private publishers in its schools”.  “Schools are expected to exercise extreme care while selecting books of private publishers and the content must be scrutinised to preclude any objectionable content that hurts the feeling of any class, community, gender, religious group. Schools have to take responsibility of the content of the books prescribed by them”.

The publishers also announced that they have “stopped the printing, selling and distribution of the revised book with immediate effect”.

“We do review our books from time to time but some points have remained uncorrected due to an oversight and hence the book will again be reviewed by our editorial board and any inconsistencies found will be corrected,” the publishers said.