The Indian Nursing Council on Monday condemned the content in a book prescribed in its syllabus for nursing students that promotes the illegal practice of dowry, reported ANI.

The book, titled Textbook for Sociology for Nurses, has been written by TK Indrani, reported The New Indian Express. It is part of the curriculum for second year Bachelor of Science students.

A page from the book has been widely shared on social media. “Ugly looking girls can be married off with attractive dowry with well or ugly looking boys,” it said.

Another paragraph in the book read: “Because of burden of dowry, many parents have started educating their girls. When the girls are educated or even employed, the demand for dowry will be less. Thus it is an indirect advantage.”

The Indian Nursing Council, a regulatory body for nurses and nurse education in India, functions under the Union health ministry.

“Indian Nursing Council as a policy does not endorse any author or publication nor has allowed any other author to use the name of Indian National Council for their publications,” the regulatory body said in a statement.

On Monday, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote a letter to Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan seeking to stop the circulation of “such regressive textbooks” and take it off the curriculum.

“It is appalling how such derogatory and problematic text remains in circulation and that a textbook elaborating the merits of dowry can actually exist in our curriculum is a shame for the nation and its constitution,” Chaturvedi said in the letter, which she shared on Twitter.

The MP said that it was concerning that students were being exposed to such content on dowry, which is a criminal offence in India.

“Such reinforcement of the dowry system is offensive and should be actioned upon immediately,” she added.

Chaturvedi asked Pradhan to take strict action in the case so that no “anti-women content” is taught or promoted. She also demanded that textbooks should be reviewed and approved by a panel.