HC asks CBSE not to frame questions on objectionable passages

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the CBSE not to frame questions relating to some "objectionable passages" in the NCERT's history text-books in the forthcoming board examinations to be conducted by it.

The direction came from a division bench headed by Justice M K Sharma following an assurance from NCERT that it would remove 20 objectionable passages, which included some references to Sikh religious leader Guru Govind Singh, Aryabhatt and Mughal Emperor Akbar, from its textbooks in the next academic year of 2007.

NCERT also informed the court that it had already issued circulars to the schools about it.

Earlier, the court, during the hearing of a PIL filed by one Dina Nath Mishra, has observed that the offending portions should not be taught to the students, as it would hurt the religious sentiments of certain community.

A committee of experts was constituted following the High Court's direction, which had suggested that NCERT should remove the offending portions from the text-books.