From 'state' to 'UT': J&K board's class 10 textbook error triggers uproar

The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education faces criticism after a textbook for class 10 mistakenly replaces 'state' with 'UT'

The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education is facing criticism after a class 10 textbook on Disaster Management and Road Safety mistakenly replaced the word ‘state’ with ‘UT’ in multiple instances, leading to unintended and hilarious changes.  

 

One such error altered the phrase ‘state of the human body’ to ‘UT of the human body’, creating confusion in a section discussing ‘Fainting and Losing Consciousness’.

 

The modifications in the economics textbook on Disaster Management and Road Safety for class 10 appear to have been made following the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August 2019, when the region transitioned from a state to two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The issue, likely a result of a ‘copy and replace’ approach, was brought to public attention by a citizen through a two-minute video on social media.  

 

The errors emerged despite the presence of a dedicated section within the Board of School Education, Kashmir, tasked with proofreading textbook content. Following the transition of the former state to Central rule in 2018, the L-G administration revised the syllabus for textbooks, particularly for classes 5 to 10, in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

Another instance in the book saw the term ‘state of shock’ changed to ‘UT of shock’. The video quickly gained traction on social media, prompting reactions from politicians and prominent citizens.

 

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and former Education Minister Naeem Akhtar criticised the authorities for reducing the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education to what he described as a “hub of mismanagement and a centre of mediocrity”. He highlighted yet another error in the textbook, where the phrase ‘state of mind’ had been incorrectly changed to ‘UT of mind’.  

 

“It would have been ridiculous and hilarious if it were not so serious. The fact is that the future of our children is in the hands of a few illiterate people who masquerade as academicians. It is time their antecedents are checked and made public,” Akhtar said.