By Parvez Ud Din
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) has been accused of negligence after major mistakes were found in a Class 10 textbook.
The serious but humorous errors are reminiscent of the iconic scene from Amir Khan's Bollywood flick ‘3 Idiots,’ in which Khan’s character ‘Rancho’ changes two words in his classmate’s speech, triggering laughter. He replaces ‘chamatkar’ (served/miracle) with ‘balatkar (screwed/raped) and dhan (booty) with ‘stann (breasts/bosom) and added a Sanskrit verse at the end.
The mistakes by the JKBOSE, which were made public by a widely shared video, evoked this scene and sparked claims of negligent editing of the course materials, which have drawn harsh criticism from both students and political figures.
The controversy centres around a textbook titled ‘Disaster Management and Road Safety Education,’ which contains a glaring copy-paste error. The current academic session's textbook, which was accessible on the JKBOSE website, has drawn criticism for substituting the term “state” with “UT” (Union Territory), a move that came about as a result of Jammu and Kashmir's 2019 reorganisation.
Watch this video till end!
— Shahida (@ShahidChus) February 16, 2025
In 3 Idiots,Amir Khan replaced the word " chamatkar" with "balatkaar."
similarly, in reality, jk bose replaced the term "state" with "ut".lol!pic.twitter.com/VTBpwtcCBK
However, the word “state” was inadvertently replaced with “Find and Replace” in contexts unrelated to administrative connotations, like the phrase “state of affairs,” triggering confusion. One of the textbook's most ridiculous statements is that the “UT of the human body” is more likely to faint and go unconscious than the more correct “state of the human body.” Similar mistakes are made on the next page, which makes people laugh over the blunders.
The JKBOSE, which is responsible for approving textbooks before publication, has come under fire for its lack of proofreading and editorial oversight. Critics point out that, despite claims of quality control, the board failed to prevent such glaring mistakes. The timing of the controversy is particularly significant, as JKBOSE has recently ordered private schools to use only its prescribed textbooks, warning that failure to comply could result in derecognition.
An official familiar with the board’s internal processes remarked, “Not only have they failed on paper quality, but the content has also been compromised.” The mistakes may be found in the textbook's lesson on disaster management and community involvement on pages 29 and 30. These include the frequent and improper use of “UT” in place of “state” in unrelated situations.
A wider crisis in the region's school system exacerbates the problem. Before classes resume after the holiday break, there is still a shortage of textbooks, forcing students to rely on used materials.
On social media, former Education Minister Naeem Akhtar expressed his worry and criticised the board's poor leadership. The situation was described as a “tragicomedy” by him, who also questioned the leadership of the board, claiming that it was made up of “illiterate people masquerading as academicians.”
Along with the textbook mistakes, Akhtar expressed concern about the refusal of exam forms to private school pupils, claiming that this is depriving the young people of Jammu and Kashmir of important educational possibilities. To address the escalating problem, he urged the region's officials, particularly Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, to act immediately.
In response to the backlash, officials took down the PDF version of the textbook from the official JKBOSE website. They also released a video stating that an updated edition, with the error corrected, was already available in the market. JKBOSE officials said an updated version of the textbook was already on the market and took down the digital version of the problematic textbook from their website to allay the uproar.
Meanwhile, repeated attempts to reach JKBOSE Chairman Prof. Parikshat Singh Manhas for comment were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the textbook’s editorial committee, led by Prof. S.K. Pandita from Jammu University, has faced intense scrutiny over the oversight of such critical content.
The foreword of the Disaster Management and Road Safety Education textbook emphasises the board’s commitment to updating the curriculum in line with modern challenges, specifically referencing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
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