Odisha Chief Minister Orders Panel After 1,600 Errors Found in School Textbooks for Classes 1-8
Odisha CM orders panel investigation after 1,600 errors detected in school textbooks for 2026-27.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has ordered the formation of a three-member committee to investigate nearly 1,600 errors found in newly introduced textbooks for Classes 1 to 8, following widespread criticism from teachers and opposition parties. The panel, headed by the state's Development Commissioner, has been directed to identify those responsible for the mistakes and submit its findings within seven days.
The controversy surfaced after government school teachers highlighted numerous inaccuracies in textbooks prepared under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 for the 2026-27 academic session. According to Primary Teachers' Association president Bramhananda Maharana, the books contain over 1,600 errors, including spelling mistakes, incorrect names of eminent personalities and factual inaccuracies.
Among the errors cited are the use of a photograph of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly instead of the Odisha Legislative Assembly and the incorrect description of the Niyamgiri Hills, located across Kalahandi and Rayagada districts in Odisha, as being situated in Jharkhand. After reviewing the textbooks, Chief Minister Majhi expressed displeasure and instructed officials to immediately correct the printing mistakes while the inquiry proceeds.
The issue has triggered a political storm, with Leader of Opposition and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik accusing the BJP government of "extreme carelessness and an utterly callous attitude." He alleged that the mistakes not only undermine children's education but also disrespect the Odia language and identity, pointing to errors such as identifying Berhampur as a district instead of Ganjam.
The textbooks were revised by the Directorate of Teacher Education and the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) with the participation of teachers and academic experts as part of a curriculum overhaul aligned with NEP 2020. Meanwhile, Odisha Congress president Bhakta Charan Das claimed that around Rs 50 crore had been spent on printing the books and announced a protest outside the residence of the School and Mass Education Minister.
The BJD described the publication as a "national embarrassment," while former minister and party MLA Arun Sahoo alleged that education was no longer a priority for the state government and warned that ideological appointments were weakening the system. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) also demanded that all affected students be provided with corrected, error-free textbooks free of cost, as pressure mounts on the government to ensure accountability and restore confidence in the state's education system.
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