How is beauty defined in India? This picture from a children’s book will give you the answer. The definition is, the one who is fair, is beautiful while the one who is dark will be considered ugly.

The textbook carried images of two girls where one girl who is fair-skinned is called ‘Beautiful’ while the girl who is dark-skinned is called ‘Ugly.’

It is kind of disturbing that children are taught the concept of beauty in a wrong way. The word ‘beautiful’ is more than just complexion and this is what this textbook need to tell the kids instead.

What do you think goes on in the mind of that 10-year-old when she sees her skin color being shown as the “before” picture? Kids at this age are not only easily impressionable but also have a tendency to act out such misinformation in real life. A kid who is not corrected or misinformed like this can go on to discriminate his/her friends and classmates on the basis of their colour.

A school is a place where it moulds a person’s personality, mind and determines the people that they go on to become. It is unfortunate to see that the Education Board actually allows such vile ideologies to be printed in school textbooks. Sadly, this is not the first time when textbooks have promoted and idolized stereotypes and misinformed students.

What else could be expected from the next generation who are being taught something which is not supposed to be? Dear educational boards, please keep your racism off the minds of young ones!