A science textbook designated for Class 6 in schools affiliated with the ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) board had labelled a “mosque” as a contributor to noise pollution which was later withdrawn after online petition by netizens demanding it withdrawal.
An illustration on the chapter on pollution shows a train, car, plane and a mosque with symbols depicting loud sound. A man in the foreground is seen grimacing and covering the ears.
The ICSE has stated that the board didn’t issue or endorse these textbooks, leaving it to the schools to address the matter. Gerry Arathoon, chief executive and secretary of the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations, was quoted by the Press Trust of India, emphasizing that if any book containing objectionable content is being used in certain schools, it is the responsibility of both the schools and the publishers to prevent such occurrences.
Following the initiation of an online petition by social media users calling for the withdrawal of the book, the publisher recognized the error and issued an apology. He also confirmed that the illustration would be eliminated in future editions. Hemant Gupta of Selina Publishers, in the issued apology, stated that the image depicted “a structure resembling a segment of a fort along with various noise-producing elements in a bustling city.”
