Kolkata: Following the recent controversy related to a question on the WBBSE testpaper directing school students to mark 'Azad Kashmir', the issue resurfaced on Sunday, with the same question spotted in the testpaper released by the All Bengal Teachers' Association (ABTA). This time, however, the incident has been tackled early, with the organization issuing an apology shortly after the issue came to light.
The two-mark question this time has been posed in the History section of the testpaper."What is Azad Kashmir?" the query invites students to elaborate. Speaking about the incident, ABTA General Secretary Sukumar Pyne said the paper setter was not at fault, as "the question was formed in accordance with the guidebook for teachers released by the organisation."
Also read: Question in WBBSE test paper asks students to mark 'Azad Kashmir'; Union Minister seeks probe
"However, we must be careful about these things. Questions including such phrases should never be there" he added. Earlier in January, a question from the geography question paper submitted by Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Vidyamandir, Malda, became viral. Students, in the question, were asked to point out 'Azad Kashmir' on a map, alongside other historical points of interest.
Following this, WBBSE president Ramanuj Ganguly promised a probe into the matter, adding that the teachers' body would not hesitate to take action. Union Minister of State for Education, Subhas Sarkar, has also sought a state-level inquiry for the same. If found true, he had said that the incident displayed the appeasement mentality of the ruling Trinamool Congress government in the state.
