For the past few days, the Internet has been having fun with extracts from a Class 12 Physical Education book written by Dr VK Sharma and published by a private publisher called New Saraswati House.
The book is being used by certain CBSE schools although it has not been brought out by the NCERT.
Containing bewildering and sexist statements like 36-24-36 being the best female shape and "women can't run properly", the textbook has been slammed widely after a Twitter user tweeted about it.
Responding to the news, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar clarified that the book had not been brought out by the CBSE, "This is not an NCERT textbook, nor is it an NCF-compliant one. It's a private publisher's textbook and all the necessary proceedings will be initiated. And this is why we are telling CBSE schools, don't bring private publishers' books thinking of an advantage. NCERT books will be good and will be available in appropriate numbers - I am making a plan (Yojana) for this from this year. If you take those, public will also get good books which are cheap also."
The minister said that he condemns the sexist remarks in the books, stating that they were not at all defensible. "I have instructed officers to take action," he said.
12वीं की किताब में जो उल्लेख हुआ है वह उसपर हम कार्यवाही करेंगे। https://t.co/1yAtmp0G3u
— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) April 13, 2017