The Odisha government on Thursday refused to take back school textbooks containing errors. The government says teachers have been instructed to identify and correct mistakes while teaching in the classroom, while the revised versions will be provided from the academic session 2027-28.
Books have been distributed among the students
Madhusmita Sahu, director of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), admitted that there were mistakes in the books of classes 1 to 8 and said that these books had already been distributed among the students across the state, so they would not be taken back. He said teachers have been asked to help students of younger classes correct mistakes in their books, while students of older classes will be encouraged to identify and correct mistakes themselves under the supervision of teachers.
“The revised and improved textbooks will be published from the 2027-28 academic session,” Sahu said. He said SCERT has taken steps to ensure error-free textbooks in future.
There are 1,760 mistakes in textbooks
Meanwhile, the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) demanded immediate withdrawal of the textbooks and providing error-free books to students. BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty alleged that mistakes in textbooks could create confusion among students and adversely affect their performance in examinations. Mohanty claimed that textbooks containing 1,760 mistakes were distributed to students of classes 1 to 8 in government schools, and the government did not take back those books despite admitting the mistakes.
A day after Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi ordered a probe, the government formed a high-level committee to probe the lapses. According to a government notification, Development Commissioner cum Additional Chief Secretary Dev Ranjan Kumar Singh will be the chairman of this committee. Secretary, Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture, Vijay Ketan Upadhyay and Deputy Secretary (General Administration) Smita Pani will be its members. The committee has been asked to complete the investigation within 7 days and submit a detailed report to the government.
Read this also-
6 rebel MPs of Uddhav submitted letter to Lok Sabha Speaker, asked for separate place in Parliament, preparation to merge with Shinde faction
CM Yogi visits Ayodhya amid Ram temple offering theft controversy, instructions – Champat Rai to stay away from the program
