Odisha to supply school textbooks again after massive controversy over errors

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

The state government has acknowledged 1,678 errors, both factual and grammatical, in textbooks supplied to students from I to VIII. classes.

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

“The department is planning to upload the corrected versions of textbooks on the official website which will allow smooth access to students and teachers. It will ensure that academic sessions are not disrupted,” said Mr. Naik.

“Steps are being taken to identify every mistake in the existing textbooks, which are being reprinted and distributed. Other members including subject experts and educationists have been roped in to review and check the books,” the secretary said.

In addition, the government placed emphasis on getting feedback on textbook printing from teachers, parents, researchers, industry experts and the public before sending the books for final printing.

In a strongly worded post in ‘X’, Biju Janata Dal president and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday hit out at the Mohan Charan Majhi government for its alleged callous handling of school textbooks. BJD cadres also protested on the streets of Bhubaneswar demanding the resignation of Education and Mass Education Minister Nityanand Gonda.

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

Following the submission of an inquiry report by a high-level committee constituted by CM Mr. Majhi, four senior officials were suspended for errors in school textbooks.

Published – 01 Jul 2026 23:58 IST