The Government will conduct an enquiry into the role of NCERT officials who approved the inclusion of offending material in the text book of political sciences of Class IX-XII. Replying to a discussion in the Loksabha on an objectionable cartoon on B.R Ambedkar in an NCERT text book, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said, the government has also decided to take effective steps to ensure that such instances do not recur in future.

Mr. Sibal said, the HRD Ministry got information about the said cartoon in April this year and had sought explanation from the NCERT. He said, the cartoon was subsequently withdrawn and its distribution has been put on hold. Mr. Sibal said, the text books were called for and it was found that a large number of cartoons were inappropriate.

Members cutting across party lines questioned the thinking behind the inclusion of the cartoon in the text book as it was misleading for children. They said, such cartoon poison the youth of the country and those responsible should be punished.