Telangana state textbook cover for class 10 found without 'socialist' and 'secular' on preamble

Hyderabad: The disappearance of the words 'socialist' and 'secular' from the cover page of the Constitution Preamble, as featured on the Telangana State Council of Education Research and Training's (SCERT) latest Social Studies textbook for Class 10 students in both Telugu and English medium, has invited criticism from the teachers' association, who deemed it a grave mistake.

The textbooks were distributed on June 20, coinciding with Telangana Education Day.

A Social Studies teacher highlighted the glaring error, noting that while the inside pages accurately depicted the amended Preamble with the words 'Socialist' and 'Secular,' it was the cover page that contained this grave mistake. The original Constitution, drafted and introduced in 1950, did not include these words, which were added in 1976 through the 42nd Amendment. The cover page was redesigned for the current academic year, featuring an image of the Preamble.

SCERT Director M Radha Reddy issued a statement, attributing the error to an oversight during the downloading of the image for the cover page design. However, there was no clarification regarding any initiated inquiry. The Telangana State United Teachers' Federation (TSUTF) lodged a complaint with the school education department and the SCERT director, expressing disbelief at how such an erroneous image was downloaded and published without proper checks.

Chava Ravi, the secretary of TSUTF, called for a thorough investigation, implying that the mistake on the cover page could not be a mere oversight. Ravi suggested that the inclusion of the old Constitution Preamble could have been intentional, raising suspicions among the teaching community. The TSUTF emphasized the need for rectification and immediate reprinting of the textbooks, demanding strict action against those responsible.

The TSUTF's representation to the SCERT emphasized the global discussions on the challenges to secularism in India and questioned the motives behind publishing the old Constitution Preamble instead of the current version. President K Jangaiah urged for a prompt inquiry into the matter and stern action against those accountable.

As the controversy unfolds, concerned stakeholders await a resolution to this misprinting issue and expect steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.