The Union Ministry of Education on Monday sought the response of the Rajasthan government on six questions about the Congress in a Class 12 political science examination, The Indian Express reported.

The examination was conducted by the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education on April 21. After the examination, the Bharatiya Janata Party had accused the Congress, which is currently in power in the state, of politicising education.

The Union government’s Department of School Education and Literacy on Monday wrote to the state additional chief secretary (School Education) referring to a media report on the matter. “Request that the comments/inputs of the state government on the news item may please be sent to this department,” said the letter.

While one of the questions asked students to discuss the Congress “as a social and ideological alliance”, another one required them to state which party dominated the first three Lok Sabha elections in the country, The Times of India reported. Students were also asked to state the number of seats that the Congress got in the 1984 Lok Sabha election and to state which party gave the slogan of “Garibi Hatao [eradicate poverty]”.

The slogan was given by former Prime Minister and Congress leader Indira Gandhi ahead of the 1971 general election.

The following were reportedly the remaining two questions on the Congress:

  • “The General Election of 1971 proved to be an election for restoration of Congress. Explain the statement.”
  • “Under what circumstances did the Congress contest the 1967 General Election and what mandate did it get? Explain.”

The examination also had one question each on the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Communist Party of India, the Hindustan Times reported. However, there were reportedly no questions about the Bharatiya Janata Party, although it has ruled the state for nearly two decades in all.

After the examination, Rajasthan BJP spokesperson Ram Lal Sharma said that the question paper appeared to be “a test to be [appointed as] the Congress national president”.

Rajendra Gupta, the public relations officer of the Rajasthan Board, said that the question paper had been set on the basis of the syllabus of the National Council of Educational Research and Training, and that a panel of subject experts had framed it, according to The Indian Express.