Odisha to supply school textbooks afresh following massive controversy over errors

Faced with massive criticism from parents, teachers, and political parties over large number of errors in school textbooks, Odisha government on Wednesday (July 1, 2026) announced that those mistakes would be corrected and new textbooks will be supplied to students.

The State government had acknowledged 1,678 errors, both factual and grammatical, in textbooks supplied for students studying from Class I to Class VIII.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday (July 1, 2026), School and Mass Education Secretary N Thirumala Naik said students would soon be supplied error-free textbooks.

“The department plans to upload corrected versions of text-books in official website providing smooth access to students and teachers. It ensures that the academic session is not disrupted,” said Mr. Naik.

“Steps are being taken to identify every error in the existing textbooks, printed afresh and distributed. Additional members including subject experts and educationists have been roped in to review and proof-read the books,” said the Secretary.

Moreover, the government has laid emphasis on seeking feedbacks on printing of textbooks from teachers, parents, researchers, subject experts and members of the public before the books are sent for final printing.

In a sharp-worded posting in ‘X’, Biju Janata Dal President and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday had hit out at the Mohan Charan Majhi Government for its alleged callous handling of school textbooks. The BJD cadres also protested on streets of Bhubaneswar demanding resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityanand Gond.

A Class V textbook has reportedly reproduced verbatim the lyrics of the popular song “Nimbuda Nimbuda” from the 1999 Hindi film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam in one of its chapters. Another glaring error in textbook claimed that Odisha’s Niyamgiri Hills was in Jharkhand.

After submission of investigation report by high level committee constituted by CM Mr. Majhi, four senior-level officials were placed under suspension for the errors in school textbooks.