DCW issues notice to CBSE over regressive anti-women comprehension passage question in Class X Board Exam Paper

The Delhi Commission for Women on Monday issued a notice to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) expressing extreme displeasure over a regressive and anti-women comprehension passage from a Class 10 English Examination paper.

The Delhi Commission for Women took cognisance of the objectionable comprehension passage in which the writer has allegedly stated that indiscipline and disobedience in children have increased due to an increase in freedom and equality among women. The Commission has termed the passage to be infuriating, sexist and offensive against women and children.

"What people were slow to observe was that the emancipation of the wife destroyed the parent's authority over the children. The mother did not exemplify the obedience upon which she still tried to insist... In bringing the man down from his pedestal the wife and the mother deprived herself, in fact of the means of discipline," read the controversial passage in the exam paper.

As per the commission, the objectionable passage claims that teenagers are going astray due to lack of parental authority at home, which according to him "depended, more than a century ago upon the convention of the husband being master in his own house. The wife gave him formal obedience realizing that upon his depended her authority in turn over the children".

According to the writer, "It was only by accepting her husband's sway that she could gain obedience from the young. He further claims that the wife led by example in her subordination and goes on to state that "children and servants were in this way taught to know their place."

The Commission further told CBSE, "The passage then rants some sexist stereotypes about how lesser children resulted in a feminist revolt and other similar nonsensical thoughts. The passage further states that 'What people were slow to observe was that the emancipation of the wife destroyed the parent's authority over the children. The other did not exemplify the obedience upon which she still tried to insist. There was more room now for disagreement between the parents, enabling the child to appeal from one to other, eventually ignoring both. In bringing the men down from his pedestal the wife and the mother deprived herself, in fact, of the means of discipline."

The Delhi Commission for Women expressed its exasperation when the writer even asked the students a question seeking their opinion on whether he is a male chauvinist pig/ arrogant person/ a disgruntled husband or has his family's welfare at heart! The Commission stated that its evident that the writer is a "woman-hater" and his understanding of women issues and feminism is totally perverted.

Seeing the severity of the matter, the Commission has asked CBSE to provide details related to the writer as well as the people responsible for getting such a patriarchal and regressive article published in the examination paper. The Commission has also asked CBSE to provide reasons as to why this passage which propagates gender discrimination was chosen and whether it was scrutinized by experts or not. CBSE has been given 72 hours by the Commission for providing a detailed action report in this regard.

DCW Chief Swati Maliwal expressed her anger over the controversial passage said: "It is unacceptable that CBSE decided to publish this twisted passage in its examination paper for not only such articles attack the independent identity of women and propagate anti feminism and gender stereotypes, but also have a negative impact over the progressive thinking of students, who indeed are the future of the nation. I have given 72 hours to CBSE for taking action against all people responsible and for providing details of the same to the Commission."

( With inputs from ANI )

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