In a major embarrassment for Kerala, often hailed for its high literacy rates and human development indicators, a state syllabus textbook has been spreading misinformation about sensitive health issues. A class 10 Biology textbook of the Kerala State Syllabus says that HIV can spread through “premarital or extramarital sexual conduct”.

The information, according to India Today, is published on page number 60 of the book published by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT). It is one of the responses to the question “What are the ways by which HIV spreads”.

The News Minute quoted Nishi, the research officer of the SCERT, as saying, “we have identified the mistake and have taken measures to make the necessary changes in the upcoming academic year which begins from June 2019 onwards.”

This is not the first time when a textbook has has made a mistake. The Class 12 Sanskrit textbook of the Gujarat board said Rama had abducted Sita in the Ramayana, The Times of India had reported in June last year.

Dr Nitin Pethani, executive president of Gujarat State Board of School Textbooks, had termed it a translation error.