Kashmir not in India: Bihar question paper

PATNA: According to experts in the Bihar education department, Kashmir is not a part of India but a separate country. A question paper prepared by the state board for class VII students across all government schools asked them to name what the people of five countries — China, Nepal, England, Kashmir and India —are called. The examination, which commenced on October 5, will end on Wednesday. They are being conducted under the Centre's Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, which is overseen in the state by the Bihar Education Project Council (BEPC), a wing of the state education department.


A student of Vaishali district pointed out the error on Tuesday. When asked about it, Vaishali district education officer Sangeeta Sinha said, "I was on leave and have just resumed work. I will have to look into the matter," she told TOI over the phone on Tuesday.

BEPC state programme officer Prem Chandra, however, knew about the gaffe. "It's very embarrassing, I admit," he said and called it a printing error. Sources in the education department said the question papers for the BEPC examinations are prepared centrally though they are printed at multiple locations.