Bhubaneswar: A three-member committee constituted to investigate glaring errors in Odisha’s school textbooks has submitted its report to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, raising the prospect of disciplinary action against officials and agencies found responsible.
Headed by the Development Commissioner D.K. Singh, the panel submitted its findings within the seven-day deadline set by the Chief Minister. The report is now under government scrutiny, with action expected after its recommendations are examined.
The committee was formed after more than 1,600 errors were detected in textbooks for Classes I to VIII in the current academic session, sparking widespread criticism from teachers, parents and the Opposition. It was tasked with identifying the officials and institutions responsible for the lapses and examining how the mistakes occurred during the drafting, review and publication of the books.
Soon after the controversy erupted, Majhi had assured that those responsible would face stringent action.
Speaking to a newspaper, the Chief Minister described the unusually high number of errors as a “possible conspiracy” and said the government was investigating every stage of the textbook production process.
“Errors have occurred in the past, but the scale this time is unprecedented. The entire process—from manuscript preparation and vetting to printing—needs scrutiny. I suspect a larger conspiracy to defame the government,” Majhi said.
He said he had rejected an initial proposal to give the inquiry panel 15 days, insisting instead on a seven-day deadline to ensure swift accountability.
Majhi also announced that all faulty textbooks already distributed to students would be withdrawn and replaced with corrected editions. If the inquiry establishes evidence of deliberate wrongdoing or conspiracy, the government will recover the cost of reprinting from those held responsible, he said.
Meanwhile, the School and mass education department has issued a corrigendum directing schools to help students identify and correct the errors until revised textbooks are supplied.
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