Delhi urges NCERT to include chapter on tobacco control

New Delhi: The Delhi government on Wednesday urged the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to incorporate a chapter on tobacco control in textbooks of the CBSE and other boards.

The government seeks the chapter for the curriculum of Classes 6 to 12.

In a letter, the Additional Director of Delhi`s Health department S.K. Arora said that 14.1 per cent students (up to age 15) currently use tobacco products, with 4.2 per cent students smoking cigarettes and 1.9 per cent using other tobacco products.

Mentioning that of 1,000 teenagers who smoke currently, 500 would die due to tobacco related diseases, Arora said that despite a ban, the consumption of tobacco was increasing.

He emphasised that school going children were the most vulnerable group as far as tobacco consumption was concerned.

"There was an urgent need for regular sensitisation of students, teachers and parents and hence creating a chapter in the curriculum would help a lot," he said.

"We have requested the NCERT to incorporate tobacco control matter as a chapter in the curriculum of the CBSE and other educational boards for Classes 6 to 12," he said in the letter.

He said that the Central Board of Secondary Education had agreed to include the subject but it was dependent on the NCERT as the CBSE prescribes textbooks published by the NCERT only.

Set up in 1961 by the Government of India, NCERT is an autonomous organisation that assists and advises the Central and state governments on policies and programmes for qualitative improvement in school education.