The AIADMK, on December 14, rued the controversial question in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 10 English paper that was slammed for gender stereotyping and sought action against those responsible for it.
AIADMK Coordinator O Panneerselvam said that the CBSE was duty bound to advise those setting question papers to ensure that the content was not against the society, while such content that is controversial and "could incite violence" should be avoided.
"CBSE has a responsibility to monitor if the question paper is framed accordingly," Panneerselvam said in a statement. In the Class 10 exam conducted on December 11, the question paper carried a comprehension passage with sentences such as "emancipation of women destroyed the parents' authority over the children" and "it was only by accepting her husband's way that a mother could gain obedience over the younger ones" among others.
Excerpts from the passage have gone viral on social media platforms earlier, with users calling out the Board for supporting "misogynistic" and "regressive opinions" and the hashtag "#CBSEinsultswomen" trending on Twitter.
The CBSE, on December 13, expressed regret and announced the setting up of a committee to thoroughly review the question paper-setting process following the outrage. The Board also dropped the problematic part from the questionnaire and said that full marks will be awarded to students for it.
BJP ally AIADMK's leader pointed out at the various pro-women initiatives launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as those piloted by the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in the past and said the sentences in question "insult the freedom of women and those striving for it."
