Multiple mistakes spotted in Maharashtra’s new CBSE-based textbooks

Responding to a piece published in Marathi daily Sakal by mathematician Dinanath Gore, Balbharti Director Anuradha Oak in a press release said errors have crept into some of the new textbooks.

In the class 4 mathematics textbook in the English and Marathi mediums, Ramanujan’s death date has been mentioned as April 27, 1920 instead of the accurate date April 26, 1920.

Further on page 55 of the Marathi medium mathematics textbook, the first question says ‘more than 1000 grams’ instead of the correct ‘more than 1000 kilograms’. Two such typing errors have also been pointed out on page 77 of the English medium textbook.

Balbharti said the discrepancies have been noted and that they will be rectified in the next edition. Additionally Balbharti has stated that information regarding these changes will be made available immediately through videos accessible via QR codes in the textbooks.

The class 3 textbook also mentions that the school started by Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule in Pune was the first girl’s school in Maharashtra. In an earlier clarification, Oak had said that this would be corrected to ‘This was not just Maharashtra’s but India’s first girl’s school. This was the first school set up by Indians for girls’.

Mukund Kirdat of the Aam Aadmi Party Parent’s Union said, “Generally, information provided in school textbooks is regarded as authoritative and authentic, and the next generation relies on it for their learning. Those responsible for writing school textbooks are expected to cite references for every detail and verify those references. Furthermore, typographical errors or printing mistakes should not occur, as proofreaders are specifically appointed for this purpose. Despite these safeguards, the recurring errors are serious. It is imperative to fix accountability and take action.”