Odisha CM Orders High-Level Probe Into School Textbook Errors, Seeks Report Within a Week
The meeting was attended virtually by school and mass education minister Nityananda Gond, Chief Secretary Anu Garg and senior officials of the state government.
Bhubaneswar: Taking serious note of a large number of errors detected in school textbooks, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday ordered an immediate high-level inquiry and directed officials to initiate corrective measures without delay.
Chairing a review meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan, the Chief Minister expressed concern over the lapses in government-prescribed textbooks and instructed authorities to identify those responsible and ensure accountability.
The meeting was attended virtually by school and mass education minister Nityananda Gond, Chief Secretary Anu Garg and senior officials of the state government.
According to sources in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Majhi directed the School and Mass Education Department to take swift steps to rectify the errors and put in place mechanisms to prevent similar lapses in future editions.
To investigate the matter, the state government has constituted a three-member high-level committee under the chairmanship of the Development Commissioner. The panel has been tasked with examining how the errors occurred, identifying the officials, departments or agencies responsible, and recommending corrective action.
The committee has been asked to submit its report within seven days.
Officials said the findings of the inquiry would form the basis for further action, with stringent measures likely against those found accountable for the lapses.
The issue has triggered widespread concern after reports suggested that textbooks for Classes I to VIII contained nearly 1,700 errors, ranging from factual inaccuracies to language and printing mistakes. During the review meeting, the Chief Minister sought copies of the affected textbooks for examination.
Among those present at the meeting were School and Mass Education Secretary N. Thirumala Naik, Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA) Director Ananya Das and State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Director Madhusmita Sahu.
The controversy has sparked concern among parents, teachers and educationists over the quality of learning materials being supplied to students. The government’s intervention is expected to pave the way for corrections in the textbooks and establish accountability for one of the most significant textbook-related lapses reported in the state in recent years.
