It isn't often that a school gets trolled over the contents of its question papers, but a Bengaluru school has found itself in hot water after a politically motivated question in an exam paper went viral on social media. Class 8 students of Mount Carmel English Medium High School in Rajarajeshwarinagar were left amused, and may be even bewildered, by the choices given for the question 'who is a farmer's friend?' in an annual exam question paper. The answer choices given to them were: Kumaraswamy, earthworm or Yeddyurappa.
Of course, the students didn't need to dig into their brains to know the right answer to question no. 9 was earthworm, and not Karnataka CM H.D. Kumaraswamy or state BJP chief B.S. Yeddyurappa, but it did leave them amused. And now, the attention and social media trolling has been embarrassing for the school and its students.
Class 8th Kannada exam question paper at a school in Bangalore.
— Kishor Cariappa (@KishorCariappa) March 27, 2019
9th Question: Who is the friend of a farmer?
Option 1. Kumaraswamy
Option 2: Earthworm
Option 3: Yeddyurappa
(via WhatsApp) pic.twitter.com/PwF1wIx5pw
Kannada question paper, Mount Carmel English High School, Rajarajeshwarinagar:
— Karthik (@beastoftraal) March 28, 2019
"Who is the friend of the farmer?"
Options:
a. BS Yeddyurappa
b. HD Kumaraswamy
c. Earthworm
Hahahahahaha :) pic.twitter.com/mYIv9NXApl
Question in an eighth standard students of Mount Carmel School Rajarajeshwari Nagar. It says who is friend of farmers? And options are 1. @hd_kumaraswamy 2. Earthworm. 3. @BSYBJP pic.twitter.com/X5SB02UJxA
— Sharath Sharma Kalagaru (@sharathmsharma) March 27, 2019
The picture of the question paper was shared on Twitter and it wasn't long before it was picked up and trolled. According to Deccan Herald, students of the school expressed their surprise that it had gone viral and that their school is at the receiving end of such notoriety.
The school management issued a clarification saying that they do not support any political party and that the member of the staff responsible for the blunder has been sacked. The principal of the school said that he received the news on WhatsApp and immediately had the staff member sacked. He added that they would ensure such incidents never happen again.
Chief Minister Kumaraswamy and B.S. Yeddyurappa had promised to waive farmers' loans if elected to power last year during the assembly polls. No wonder the person setting up the question paper thought these two leaders would make a good choice to be 'farmers' friend'!