Probe Ordered as Hindi Alphabet Charts with Religious Content Spark Controversy

Quick Summary

• A controversy emerged in madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district when a school principal distributed Hindi alphabet charts containing Islamic references.
• The charts reportedly included examples such as ‘Ka’ for kaba, ‘Ma’ for Masjid, and ‘Na’ for Namaz.
• The incident took place at Baby Convent School, with principal I.A. Qureshi acknowledging her “inadvertent” mistake caused by books sourced from Bhopal.
• Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad staged protests and surrounded the principal on August 8, 2025.
• Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Pratibha Sharma confirmed police intervention to manage the situation.
• District Education Officer (DEO) D.D. Rajak stated that teaching material with religious symbols is against education department guidelines; an investigation has been launched.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The incident underscores ongoing sensitivities around secular approaches in India’s education system. The inclusion of religious imagery, even inadvertently as admitted by Principal Qureshi, appears to have breached established norms prohibiting faith-specific materials in schools, adding weight to calls for stricter monitoring mechanisms within educational institutions.

While public protests highlight societal tensions regarding depiction and perceived biases in curricula, the initiation of an inquiry by authorities may ensure accountability without further escalation. This event signals the broader discourse surrounding neutrality in pedagogy and reiterates India’s constitutional commitment to maintaining secular values in its educational framework.Link: Read More