Urdu textbook rewrites science for standard X

• Calcium can cause cancer. (Page 64)

• Rayon is used during surgery for tying bones. (Page 125)

Believe it or not, this is what the Class X Science textbook in Urdu says. Such pearls of wisdom have been taught to students for nearly 10 years now.

These ‘‘scientific nuggets’’ are the creation of those who were assigned the task of translating the textbook by the Gujarat State Board of School Textbooks, Gandhinagar.

It’s not that these bloopers have gone unnoticed. All attempts to draw the attention of those responsible to carry out corrections drew a blank. Even written communication from those connected with the teaching profession did not get a reply.

One such letter that was written to the Board in 1995 was answered five months later. Officials profusely thanked the person who wrote the letter and promised to do the needful. However, eight years down the line, the ‘‘needful’’ still hasn’t been done.

Some more bloopers spotted in the textbook:

• Compolate fertiliser is good for crops, prepare a pit to produce it. (Page 56)

• Bacteria should not be used to preserve amla, mango and lemon as they’re put in salty water. (Page 51)

• Commercial production of polyesters was started in 1945. (Page 125)

• Carbohydrates have been shown as fats in a diagram (Page 32).

• In the lesson on preservation of perishable food items, the table (Page 50) suggests that frozen eatables need a temperature of 18-30 degrees Centigrade for better preservation

Apart from these factual errors, umpteen number of mistakes in grammar, usage and syntax dot the book.

The four-member review panel, it seems, did not even give a cursory look at the translated version. When contacted, Board Director R.C. Raval said errors may have been left in the textbook despite their efforts to ‘‘keep them at the minimum’’. He said these errors will be corrected next year, adding that the new syllabus for Class X will be out in 2006 when new textbooks would be published. Till then, students can continue learning the wrong lessons.