The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in Kerala recently corrected a factual error in a handbook for Class 4 teachers. The book had wrongly stated that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose “fled to Germany, fearing the British” before forming the Indian National Army (INA).
Teachers flagged the issue soon after the handbook’s release. Following their feedback, SCERT recalled the book and issued a revised version. The incorrect phrase was removed to ensure historical accuracy.
An official confirmed that SCERT has also launched an internal inquiry. The council said it will tighten quality checks so that such mistakes do not appear in future publications.
Handbook Intended for Classroom Support
The handbook was designed to help Class 4 educators teach Environmental Studies. It included a brief note on Bose’s political journey, his resignation as Congress president, and the formation of the Forward Bloc.
READ MORE: INDIA Bloc to Discuss Joint VP Candidate Amid Parliament Deadlock
But the statement implying that Bose ran away in terror drew criticism. Instructors said that it misrepresented the valiant contribution of the freedom fighter to India’s fight.
SCERT assured parents and teachers that improved review mechanisms will be enforced. “More rigorous quality checks will be enforced going forward to avoid such errors,” an official statement said.
Political Reactions Spark Debate
The controversy soon turned political. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) accused the CPI(M)-led Kerala government of deliberately spreading “distorted history.”
ABVP National Secretary Shravan B. Raj called the claim on Netaji “fake propaganda.” He alleged it was intended to defame a leader who gave his life for India’s independence. Raj described the portrayal of Bose as a coward as a “malicious lie.”
READ MORE: Multiple Schools Evacuated After Bomb Threat in Delhi, Authorities on High Alert
He also highlighted other inaccuracies, including the omission of Assam and Jharkhand from a map of India in the same textbook. According to Raj, these errors showed “a calculated attempt by the Communist Party-led Kerala government to manipulate the young generation with fake narratives.”
Allegations of ‘Poisonous Narrative’ in Education
ABVP Kerala State Secretary E.U. Eswaraprasad also criticised the state’s education system. He said the mistake revealed a “poisonous narrative” promoted by the Education Department.
Calling Kerala’s model-education claim a myth, he termed the error a “heinous act” and “a deliberate ploy” to implant anti-national ideas among students. Eswaraprasad confirmed that ABVP had submitted complaints to the state Education Minister and the NCERT Director.
The organisation warned of statewide protests if strict corrective measures were not taken immediately.
The SCERT’s correction has not ended the debate. The issue has grown into a wider argument about the politicisation of education and the accuracy of school curricula.
MJST READ: Yamuna River Crosses Danger Mark in Delhi, Authorities on Alert
