Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Jan 18: An image of a Class 10 exam question asking students to mark ‘Azad Kashmir’ on the Indian map has gone viral all over social media, evoking sharp reactions from the opposition.
The test paper is used by students preparing for the Class 10 Madhyamik examination usually held in March-April. The controversial question is printed on Page 132.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claims it to be a ‘Jihadi conspiracy’ and the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC terms it a mistake that it doesn’t support.
The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education asks pre-board (Class X) examinees to locate "Azad Kashmir" in the map of India in a test paper for history!
Is the chief minister of the said Indian state, @MamataOfficial, working as an agent of Pakistan? pic.twitter.com/OWWDCit9oa
— Surajit Dasgupta (@surajitdasgupta) January 17, 2023
The West Bengal board issued a corrigendum on Tuesday night saying the question should be read as ‘Kashmir’ instead of ‘Azad Kashmir’. The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education’s president, Ramanuj Gangopadhyay, assured the media that the board’s specialists would examine the situation and take appropriate measures.
ALSO READ: SC to hear Andhra Pradesh’s challenge against HC stay order on roadsides public meetings
“Our experts will review the question… We will inquire who set the question and who reviewed it. Action will be taken according to provisions in the board’s Act. We will publish our decision, whether it is a clarification or rectification, on our website. Everything will be official,” said Gangopadhyay.
Gangopadhyay told the news agency PTI that those involved in the mistake will not be spared.
‘Azad Kashmir’ is a term used by Pakistan in reference to the western part of Kashmir which is under its administration. India refers to this region as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It is a burning issue between the two nations since 1947.
