Pune: In a step towards inclusivity and breaking stereotypes, Balbharati, in its new Sociology textbook for class XI, has included non-traditional families including same-sex couples, single parents and step-parents.

This comes as yet another giant shift by Balbharati from the traditional way the textbooks were designed, after breaking gender stereotypes in the class II textbooks this year.

“These are the new changes that our society is going through from the past few years. With the scrapping of Section 377 by the Supreme Court of India last year, concepts like same-sex couples also need to be normalised,” Balbharati Special Officer Varsha Sarode told Sakal Times.

“Social sciences should reflect the society at any given point of time, and hence, they must constantly evolve,” she added.

Sarode further said, “These children need to learn about these new social concepts in the right manner, through the right medium.”

Sarode further said “The society is now moving towards inclusivity and I believe that schools and colleges are the best places to introduce students to new age relationships and families, so that they develop the right knowledge and values.”

Earlier, Balbharati had changed the way gender roles are depicted in the textbooks for much younger kids of class II. Instead of showing that women work in kitchen and men go out to work, they had introduced visuals with women too working in the roles of police, etc.