The CBSE Class 12 biology exam was conducted across the country yesterday. Talking to India Today Education, students who gave the exam said that they found the paper very lengthy. Most of the students, apparently, could not complete the paper on time and said that some questions were tricky.

We guess we know one such question that left the students confused during their board exam. CBSE asked the students which practice is better - burial or cremation. Students were asked to justify their choice explaining which practice help control air pollution.

The question not only puzzled the students, but also irked many on social media, who wondered how the question is related to biology. Twitter user Alok Bhatt tweeted the question paper to HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar saying, "CBSE wants to promote burial and not burning."

So CBSE under @PrakashJavdekar run @HRDMinistry wants to promote Burial & not Burning- even asking impressionable minds 2 reasons in support pic.twitter.com/TvL5nKxqJL - Alok Bhatt (@alok_bhatt) April 5, 2017

Teachers told Hindustan Times air pollution is a part of biology and the question was in context to pollution levels. While some students may have managed to answer the question, there may be many who couldn't decide which one's better.

Here's the entire question -

"Public all over India is very much concerned about the deteriorating air quality in large parts of India. Alarmed by this situation the residents welfare association of your locality organised an awareness programme entitled "Bury, not burn." They invited you being a biology student to participate. How would you justify your arguments that promote burying and discourage burning? (Give two reasons)"

A report in the Daily Hunt said that the HRD ministry asked CBSE to look into the matter. CBSE, in a statement, said the subject expert, who framed the question, was debarred for ambiguity and that a show cause notice was issued to the concerned official.

IS BURIAL BETTER THAN CREMATION?

Both burial and cremation of dead bodies have their pros and cons.

While cremations are more cost-effective than burials, a single cremation is equivalent to a 500-mile car journey. Even tooth fillings that contain mercury impacts air quality, if bodies are burned, in the worst way that anyone can imagine, says various studies.

The carbon footprint of cremation vs burial is difficult as well. Cremation is five times more polluting, but the long-term maintenance of a grave can outweigh this. While both the processes have their pros and cons, burials pose a severe risk on the quality of groundwater and increases land use.

But when it comes to cost, portability and dealing with physical remains, cremations prove to be better than burials. If one consider only the impact on the environment and increasing pollution levels, the way the CBSE question was asked, burial will be better than cremation.

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