Picture of the chapter from the CBSE Class 9 book.
Credit: X/@nashpateee
The Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE has introduced Value Education books for class 9 students which include chapters explaining dating and relationships.
The chapters further explain the concepts of special friends, crushes, ghosting, catfishing, and cyberbullying through examples of stories and direct definitions of the terms.
Taking to X, a netizen shared a picture of the chapter, to which Tinder India, the dating app, reacted by saying that the next chapter should be about breakups, "next chapter : how to deal with breakups."
In India, where dating, crushes and relationships are hush topics to share with parents, teenagers in vulnerable situations often go to the internet and their friends for suggestions. As CBSE introduced it in class 9 textbooks, several netizens reacted to the chapters, and most of them hailed the decision.
One said that it is a good move and must be accepted by the society. “The recent addition of a chapter in class 9th textbook on dating and relationships by #CBSE has caused some concerns. While the intention behind this move may be good, any topic added to the curriculum must be widely accepted and understood by society,” the user wrote.
Another user said, "Smartness lies in educating them about this & safe intercourse instead of being in denial about this."