The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) on Thursday broke silence on the tittle and content of its Grade 6 Kannada textbook. The NCERT stated that the book’s name follows a long-standing policy of naming language textbooks after major Indian rivers. It also asserted that the lessons related to food are aimed at promoting awareness about healthy eating habits and do not advocate any particular dietary preference.
In a statement, NCERT explained that the Kannada textbook has been named Krishna after the Krishna River, one of Karnataka’s major rivers. The council noted that other language textbooks follow the same pattern, with the Hindi textbook titled “Ganga”, the English textbook named Kaveri and the Urdu textbook called Jamuna (Yamuna).
According to NCERT, the naming convention reflects local culture and is aligned with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023, which emphasise cultural rootedness and meaningful learning contexts.
Addressing criticism regarding references to food habits in the textbook, the NCERT said the concept of a balanced diet is comprehensively covered in Chapter 6, titled Health is Wealth. The chapter’s introductory note states that good health depends on a balanced diet, exercise and cleanliness.
The council said the chapter highlights the importance of including milk, green leafy vegetables, fruits and other nutritious food items in daily meals. It also pointed out that an illustration on page 63 features both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items, countering allegations that the textbook promotes vegetarianism.
NCERT further said the chapter includes examples of healthy traditional foods from different states, linking the idea of balanced nutrition with India’s diverse food culture.
Rejecting claims that the textbook discourages non-vegetarian food, the council stated that vegetarianism is neither advocated nor justified anywhere in the text, nor is non-vegetarian food opposed. The objective, it said, is solely to create awareness about healthy eating habits. The council added that the theme is reinforced through classroom activities and questions, including exercises that ask students to explain the concept of a balanced diet.