The question, mandatory for the examinees irrespective of their religious belief, asked to write a paragraph on the Eid-ul-fitr, the greatest Muslim festival. It gave six hints intended to help them write the paragraph. It asked the students how did they celebrate the Eid this year and what did their mother and sisters do in the morning on the Eid day. They were also asked to write what they did in the morning and what they saw at the Eidgah.

And, as if these were not bizarre enough, examinees were asked to write the feast that were arranged at their home and how did they spend the afternoon.

It created a whole lot of problem not only for the students with a different faith, but also for female students as most of them do not go to the Eidgah to offer prayers.

Education ministry officials were not available for comment.

The question has exposed communal attitudes of the education board officials, said the Samajtantrik Chhatra Front (SCF) in a statement.

Introduction of such question in public examinations is a move to communalise the country's education by the four-party alliance government, it added.

The SCF condemned the act and called upon the progressive people to resist such form of commu-nalism.