Textbook mistakes: Naveen Patnaik urges Odisha education minister to emulate Dharmendra Pradhan, resigns

Nityananda Gond. Photo Credit: Odisha Legislative Assembly

OdishaLeader of the Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik on Monday (July 27, 2026) demanded the resignation of Education and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gonda, accusing him of “breaking the trust” of students by allowing the distribution of textbooks with errors in government schools.

Mr. Patnaik’s demand came a day after the Congress threatened an ‘Odisha bandh’ if the minister did not resign within a week, holding him responsible for thousands of mistakes in textbooks for classes I to VIII.

Speaking to reporters, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief said the large number of errors in school textbooks was unacceptable and had eroded public confidence in the education system.

“The Gond state education minister should follow the example of Dharmendra Pradhan and resign. This is what the Biju Janata Dal has been demanding for the last two to three weeks,” he said.

The CPI(M) has also been holding a demonstration since morning at Master Canteen Square over the issue. Mr Pradhan resigned as the Union Education Minister on Saturday (July 25, 2026) amid nationwide protests over the alleged NEET paper leak.

More than 2,000 errors were reported in the State Board’s school textbooks and among the glaring ones were scientist Isaac Newton who was described as an ace pilot and Odishina Niyamgiri Hills was placed in Jharkhand.

On Sunday (July 26, 2026), State Congress president Bhakta Charan Das threatened a nationwide bandh if Mr. Gond did not resign within a week over what he called “serious lapses” in the textbooks. He also warned that Congress workers would destroy the minister’s residence if he did not resign.

Meanwhile, BJP general secretary Biranchi Narayan Tripathy questioned the moral stand of the BJD and asked how many ministers resigned on ethical grounds when she was in power despite corruption charges against several of them. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has handed over the probe into the textbook errors to the Odisha Police Crime Branch.

A former director of the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) was arrested in connection with the case, three assistant directors were suspended and disciplinary proceedings were initiated against six other officials.

Published – 27 Jul 2026 14:56 IST