New Delhi, June 25:The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has clarified concerns surrounding the title and content of the Grade 6 Kannada R3 textbook, stating that the book neither advocates vegetarianism nor discourages non-vegetarian food habits.
In a statement issued on Thursday, NCERT responded to media reports questioning the textbook's title and references to food and diet. The council explained that all language textbooks in its R3 series are named after prominent Indian rivers. Accordingly, the Kannada textbook has been titledKrishna, after the Krishna River, one of Karnataka’s major rivers.
NCERT noted that this naming convention is followed across languages. While the Hindi textbook is titledGanga, the English textbook is namedKaveri, and the Urdu textbook is calledJamuna(Yamuna). The council said the approach aligns with the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023, which emphasise cultural relevance, local context and meaningful learning experiences.
Addressing concerns about dietary content, NCERT said that Chapter 6 of the textbook focuses on the concept of a balanced diet and highlights the importance of nutrition, physical activity and hygiene for maintaining good health.
The chapter, titledHealth is Wealth, explains that a balanced diet includes a variety of nutritious foods such as milk, fruits, green leafy vegetables and other essential food items that should be part of daily meals. NCERT further pointed out that an illustration on page 63 depicts both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items.
According to the council, the chapter also showcases examples of healthy traditional foods from different states to reflect India's rich culinary diversity.
“Nowhere in the textbook is vegetarianism promoted or justified, nor is non-vegetarian food opposed. The objective of the chapter is solely to create awareness about healthy eating habits,” NCERT stated.
The council added that the chapter reinforces these concepts through classroom activities and questions, including discussions on what constitutes a balanced diet.
Reaffirming its commitment to quality education, NCERT said it remains open to constructive feedback and suggestions from educators, parents and other stakeholders to further strengthen its teaching-learning materials in line with the vision of NEP 2020 and NCF-SE 2023.
