Prakash Javdekar condemned the sexist remark and said the book 'mentions unmentionables about women'.
A day after a textbook on physical education sparked a row for its sexist content, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) is planning to take action against its publisher. The Class 12 textbook suggested feminine proportions of 36-24-36 as being ideal. The CBSE has clarified that the book,
Health and Physical Education, wasn't prescribed by them.
Union Minister of Human Resource Development Prakash Javdekar condemned the sexist remark and said the book "mentions unmentionables about women".
The minister has also told all CBSE schools to use only NCERT books so that they get the right kind of education which would be beneficial to all. "I have instructed the officers to take strict action against those behind this textbook and all schools should ensure they have proper books.''
The book in question by Dr VK Sharma, published by Delhi-based New Saraswati House, in a chapter said, "36-24-36 shape of females is considered the best". It further said, "that is why in Miss World or Miss Universe competitions, such type of shape is also taken into consideration". The male body was also targeted as it said, "the V shape body in case of males is considered the best".
A screen grab of the page from the textbook was lapped up by the social media prompting the HRD ministry and the education board to take remedial action.
The CBSE also issued a statement saying "it is totally incorrect and CBSE does not recommend books by any private publishers to the affiliate schools''. CBSE officials said that it was an effort to malign the board which they would act against.
This isn't the first time the CBSE is caught in a controversy. In the past, too, among many such examples, one of the books for Class 6 said meat-eaters cheat, lie and commit sex crimes, another one taught the Hindi alphabet that said B for 'bomb' and 'C' for 'chaku' (knife)... in two textbooks used in some Uttar Pradesh schools.