NCERT Defends ‘Krishna’ Title, Rejects Vegetarianism Allegations in Class 6 Kannada Textbook

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) on Thursday responded to criticism surrounding its newly introduced Class 6 Kannada R3 textbook, clarifying that the title Krishna refers to the Krishna River, one of Karnataka’s major rivers.

In a statement, NCERT said all its R3 language textbooks have been named after Indian rivers as part of a broader effort to promote local cultural contexts in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.

The council pointed out that the Hindi textbook is titled Ganga, the English textbook Kaveri, and the Urdu textbook Jamuna (Yamuna). Similarly, the Kannada textbook has been named Krishna after the river that flows through Karnataka.

“This approach is appropriate from a localised and cultural perspective, particularly in view of the emphasis laid in NEP 2020 and NCF-SE 2023 on rootedness, cultural connect, and meaningful contexts for learners,” NCERT said.

The clarification comes amid criticism over both the textbook’s title and its chapter on food and nutrition.

Clarification on Allegations of Promoting Vegetarianism

Responding to allegations that the textbook promotes vegetarianism, NCERT said the claims are misplaced. It stated that Chapter 6, Health is Wealth, focuses on the importance of a balanced diet, regular exercise and cleanliness.

According to NCERT, the chapter includes a dedicated section on balanced nutrition, explaining that a healthy diet should include milk, green leafy vegetables, fruits, vegetables and other nutritious foods. The textbook also contains illustrations featuring both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items and highlights traditional healthy foods from different Indian states.

“Nowhere in the textbook is vegetarianism explained or justified, nor is non-vegetarian food opposed. The purpose of the chapter is to create awareness about healthy food items,” the statement said.

The clarification came after the People’s Alliance for Fundamental Right to Education criticised NCERT, questioning the lack of representation of meat-based diets in the balanced diet example.

“Is Karnataka represented only by ragi mudde and bassaru? What about the crores of people who consume pandi curry, fish soup and kheema balls? Where are eggs, fish, chicken, mutton, the fish eaten by a coastal child, or the jolada rotti and oil cake eaten by a child from North Karnataka? This is a deliberate attempt to ignore meat-based diets,” PAFRE chief convenor Niranjanaradhya VP said in a statement.

Madhu Bangarappa’s Objection

Former Karnataka School Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa also criticised NCERT’s Class 6 Kannada R3 textbook, arguing that the title Krishna does not reflect Kannada’s linguistic and cultural context.

Alleging cultural imposition, he said in a post on X, “Despite the availability of highly relevant textbooks like Savi Kannada, Siri Kannada, and Thili Kannada—published by the State Department of Educational Research and Training (DSERT)—the NCERT chose to ignore them entirely, releasing a textbook that offends the very identity of Kannada.”

Bangarappa demanded that NCERT immediately withdraw the textbook and urged the council to collaborate with DSERT to design “a new curriculum that truly reflects the culture, traditions, and literary-cultural heritage of this soil.”