Centre Orders Probe Into NCERT Officials Over Failure To Defend Paper Supplier Blacklisting

Last Updated:July 10, 2026, 23:47 IST

Dharmendra Pradhan has ordered an inquiry into NCERT officials over the council's failure to defend its paper supplier blacklisting case in the Delhi High Court.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has ordered an inquiry into the role of NCERT officials who failed to defend the council’s decision to blacklist a paper supplier before the Delhi High Court, sources said.

The case relates to Bafna Global Venture Private Limited, which approached the Delhi High Court on June 24 after the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) issued an order on June 22 blacklisting the company for two years and barring it from participating in the council’s procurement process.

During the hearing, no representative from NCERT appeared before the court. The Delhi High Court subsequently granted the company protection from coercive action until further orders and restrained the council from invoking the bank guarantee of over Rs 6 crore furnished by the paper supplier.

According to sources, the Education Minister took serious note of reports that NCERT had failed to effectively defend its blacklisting decision before the court and directed that strict action be taken against the officials responsible for the lapse.

“The minister has ordered accountability to be fixed on the officials who failed to take the necessary legal steps, reinforcing a zero-tolerance approach towards administrative and legal lapses while ensuring greater accountability in textbook production and procurement," a source said.

Sources also said the minister has directed strict legal action against officials who failed to comply with the required legal procedures in the case.

The ministry has asked NCERT to examine how Bafna Global Venture Private Limited was selected despite allegedly not meeting the required conditions, why the company later failed to adhere to the paper supply schedule, and how the council’s case went unrepresented before the court.

Before the High Court, the company argued that the delay in printing textbooks was caused by the unavailability of hydrogen peroxide, a bleaching agent used in paper manufacturing, due to the war in Iran.

The matter is now scheduled to be heard by the Delhi High Court on July 20.

News india Centre Orders Probe Into NCERT Officials Over Failure To Defend Paper Supplier Blacklisting

Read More