A picture of a Hindi subject question paper for Class 8th students is doing rounds on social media as four out of five visible questions asked in the Unit test relate to Islam. The question paper was distributed in Narmada Vidyalay located in Bharuch, Gujarat. As the question paper went viral, it triggered an outrage on social media with several netizens inquiring whether the school falls in Pakistan or Bangladesh or has India become an Islamic nation.
गुजरात का भरूच पाकिस्तान में आता है ?
— The Abhishek Tiwary Show (@atsshow7) August 13, 2024
बांग्लादेश में आता है ?
या भारत ही इस्लामिक देश हो चुका है ? pic.twitter.com/9juHCsX8OR
However, facing backlash, the school management defended itself claiming that the intentions were not wrong and the questions were asked from the syllabus itself. Additionally, the District Education officer (DEO) also defended the school saying that the questions were asked as per rules adding that the matter was being blown out of proportion.
As per the details mentioned in the question paper, Bharuch’s GNFC Narmada Vidyalaya held a unit test on 7th August. In the Hindi subject examination for Class 8th, students were given this question paper which is now circulating on social media. In the viral picture, 5 multiple-choice questions under question number 1 are visible, 4 of which relate to Islam.
The first question asked in the Hindi subject unit test reads, “On whose will/command we are born in this world?” The four options include – Mother, father, family and Khuda (Almighty).
The second one was a fill-in-the-blanks type of question which asked, “If Khuda wished, he can mitigate all (blank space left for the correct answer).” Options include – Kismat, Mannat, Daawat or Afat (troubles/calamity). The rough translated English version has been rephrased to better suit the ‘correct’ option in the said questionnaire.
The third question was related to Ramzan and it asked, “Ramzan comes after observing the full thirty (blank space for correct answer)”.. The options – Vidhan (legislations), grains, Phere (circumcircles) or Rozas.
Fourth question – “What is the name of the place where Namaz is read during Eid?” The options were Idbagh, Idmaidan, Idghar or Idgah.
The fifth one was a geography question asking, “Karnal city falls in which state?” Options included – Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat or Haryana.
As per reports, when the students went back to their homes, they showed the question paper to their parents and some of them shared pictures of the question paper on social media which soon went viral. They also raised objections against asking such questions from their children.
Questions were asked from the curriculum, the intentions were not wrong: School management
When the matter came to the notice of OpIndia, we contacted the school management for further information on this matter. According to the school management, “The questions were taken from the government textbook and no out of syllabus questions were asked in the examination. The controversy arose because the questions were consecutive, but the school or the teachers had no other intention behind it. That is to say, the questions were asked from the text itself.”
They further added that they have submitted a reply to the District Education Officer (DEO) and the Collector’s office in this matter.
Meanwhile, the District Education Officer Swati Raol has also responded to the question paper row. She said that the questions were asked as per the rules and claimed that the issue was being blown out of proportions.
Speaking to ‘Divya Bhaskar’, she said, “The questions have been asked as per the government rules and textbooks and they are from the chapters part of the curriculum. Someone has tried to make a big deal out of this entire incident.”
OpIndia also contacted District Primary Education Officer Sachin Shah in this matter. However, he said that the matter falls under the purview of the District Education Officer, but added that as per the information he received, a report on the matter has been submitted to the state government and the questions were taken from the textbook itself. He added that the dispute has been resolved.
