Inter student flags gender stereotypes in exam question, writes to CM

Hyderabad: An Intermediate student from Government Junior College, Kachiguda, has raised serious concerns about gender stereotypes in the English Board exam paper, writing directly to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.

Mahima Keerthana Sirangi, a Class 12 student and national rifle shooter, in a letter to the Chief pointed out that the exam offered two dialogue-writing topics: one between a girl and her mother about cooking, and another between a boy and his father about future plans. She argued that such framing reduces daughters to domestic roles while sons are encouraged to envision their careers.

In her letter, Mahima emphasised that cooking is a basic life skill for everyone, not just women, and expressed disappointment that the education system continues to validate outdated stereotypes in 2026. “I cannot believe that in the year 2026, we are still reducing daughters to nothing but cooking while sons are planning their future,” she wrote.