Query On Kashmir In Bengal School Question Papers Stirs Controversy

An image of a model question paper from a school in Bengal, asking students to mark "Azad Kashmir" on a map, has been widely distributed on social media, setting off a controversy ahead of Class 10 board exams.

The school in question is Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Vidyamandir School of Malda. Pakistan and terrorist organisations refer to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir as "Azad Kashmir".  

Various schools and teachers' association, as well as the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, issue model question papers every year to aid the preparations for board examinees. These are printed in a book format and Bengal board students solve them as part of their preparations.

 Union Minister Subhas Sarkar, who has called for a state-level inquiry, told NDTV that the education ministry should stop selling the test paper and investigate the matter.  

"They should find out who set the paper, find out who published it and take necessary action... Their mentality is anti-national, and the paper setter would like to inspire terrorist activities," he added.

West Bengal Board of Secondary Education president Ramanuja Ganguly said action will be taken.'

 "We are trying to rectify and clarify and see what exactly transpired. The people who have framed the question and edited the question, we will inquire with them and then based on the model act and its clauses, we will take a decision. We will relay our decision through our website," he told reporters.

"We have found that a school called Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Vidyamandir School in Malda set this question in a test. I have heard this, but it is not confirmed that the history teacher did not create the question paper. The physical education teacher did it even though his personal academic qualification is in history. I don't know what the headmaster has done about it and these are matters that need to be inquired into," Ramanuja Ganguly said.

This test paper has already been distributed all over the state. The board president said it was not possible to recall it.   

Subhash Sarkar said the incident, if true, can be attributed to the "appeasement politics of the Trinamool-run government, which has emboldened some people to insert a question with anti-national overtones in the test paper".

Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh later told PTI his party doesn't support anything that is wrong. "If someone has set such a question, he has done the wrong thing. We don't support such acts," he said. "The Trinamool is a secular party, which does not believe in appeasing any particular community. Sarkar has made a baseless comment against our party," Mr Ghosh added.