Today I Learned

Right?

Let's see, Pythagorean theorem, is what, a couple thousand years old, and a single statement, right? And it's the foundation of geometry and trig. Hell, I regularly say it in my head (a2+b2=c2) when trying to figure out spatial relationships, for dumb stuff no less (will this table fit on my patio with room to walk around it?).

It's how you ensure anything you're trying to make square is square. In framing (shed, house, deck, whatever) it's used to ensure you setup your string in the proper orientation and don't end up with a parallelogram.

And the Periodic table.... The bloody basis of understanding chemical reactions and physics.

I guess if you're not teaching the Periodic Table, there'd be no hope if understanding evolutionary theory, since it's predicated on chemical behaviour.

What the hell are you talking about!? It says in the article that these three subjects have been moved out of mandatory learning.

Meaning that most Indian students won't understand the basic principles of evolution or the most simple understanding of the composition of elements.

Not considering either of these three to be essential mandatory learning is insane.

It says in the post that 10th grade is the last mandatory grade, so this means many students will miss out on learning about evolution, no?

Evolution is dropped from mandatory and is only taught to students who opt to learn biology, after high school.

These changes effectively block a major swath of Indian students from exposure to evolution through textbooks, because tenth grade is the last year mandatory science classes are offered in Indian schools.

I know nothing of India's education system. Does this mean it's in an optional class now or is this totally wrong?

that's just your hypotenuse

as said below, that’s the last mandatory grade

This is Pythagorean theorem for the similarity of triangles

could you source that?

I feel like they worded it poorly or misinterpret it from the source. Post-soviet edu has all three at 5th grade (age 10-12), the beginning of the middle school, because only then you can start and learn respective fields for remaining 5-7 years. If you place them in the last year of school it you don't have a room for that at all.

I suppose it should've meant 'in their whole 10-year program', not the tenth grade.

We learned Pythagorean theorem in 7th grade when I was a kid 30 years ago. I think they learn it even earlier now.

Short answer, yes.

In 2018, Indian minister for higher education Satyapal Singh baffled the scientific community by demanding that the theory of evolution be removed from school curriculum becaue "no one ever saw an ape turning into a human being." Other political leaders from the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party came to his defense on social media.

Yes.

Imagine not knowing the fucking Pythagorean Theorem. Imagine not being able to do basic trigonometry, a cornerstone of physics.