A fresh controversy has erupted in India’s eastern state of Odisha after the popular Bollywood song ‘Nimboda Nimboda’ was included in a Class 8 school textbook. Images of the textbook went viral on social media, prompting parents, teachers and education experts to question the curriculum and demand an explanation from the authorities.
According to Indian media reports, the song appears in ‘Kirti’, a Class 8 Art Education textbook developed under India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The book reproduces the full lyrics of ‘Nimboda Nimboda’, a hit song from the 1999 Bollywood film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. The song, filmed on actors Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan, has been presented in the textbook as a Rajasthani folk song.
Reports also said that ‘Rind Posh Maal’, a popular song from the Bollywood film Mission Kashmir, has been included in the same textbook.
The issue triggered widespread criticism on social media, with many users questioning why Bollywood film songs had been included in the curriculum instead of promoting Odisha’s own rich cultural and folk heritage.
The controversy intensified after reports revealed that the newly introduced textbooks contained a total of 1,678 errors, leading to sharp criticism of the state government over the quality of the curriculum.
In response, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond took immediate action by suspending senior officials of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT). The state government has also ordered a formal inquiry against six other officials over the matter.
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