A CLASS 4 MATHEMATICS TEXTBOOK PUBLISHED BY NCERT HAS COME UNDER SHARP CRITICISM FOR INCORRECTLY PORTRAYING THE INDIAN RHINOCEROS AND SPREADING MISINFORMATION ABOUT ITS CONSERVATION. (PHOTO).

 A Class 4 mathematics textbook published by NCERT has come under sharp criticism for incorrectly portraying the Indian rhinoceros and spreading misinformation about its conservation. 

The controversy erupted after readers pointed out that the illustration in the book, meant for young children, wrongly depicts the single-horned Indian rhino with two horns. The issue was first flagged on social media by Udoy Bhaskar Borah, who called the error unacceptable in a national textbook.

Apart from the inaccurate drawing, the accompanying text has also raised concerns. Assam-based conservationist and rhino expert Bibhab Kumar Talukdar criticized the textbook for omitting crucial facts and presenting misleading information. While the book mentions the rhino’s population being reduced due to floods and the “medicinal value” of their horns, Talukdar emphasized that floods are a natural process important for rhino habitats and that the claim of medicinal value promotes dangerous myths leading to poaching.

Talukdar also pointed out that the book failed to mention that Assam, especially the Brahmaputra valley, is home to the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinos. He reminded that the Indian rhinoceros is not only native to this region but also the state animal of Assam. Misrepresentation of such critical facts in educational materials, he said, can severely affect conservation awareness among children.

The issue has triggered a demand for an immediate correction in the textbook and a review of NCERT’s editorial practices. Conservationists fear that such errors, if not addressed, could normalize misinformation and encourage harmful beliefs. According to global agencies like the International Rhino Foundation, poaching driven by false beliefs about rhino horn continues to be the biggest threat to rhino species worldwide.