Odisha CM orders probe after 1,678 textbook errors found, directs SCERT to file FIR

Around 1,678 errors were found in the newly introduced Odisha school textbooks for Classes 1 to 8 prompting Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to order a criminal investigation.

In Short

• Errors were found in textbooks used by Classes 1 to 8 students
• An official statement said SCERT's director must lodge an FIR promptly
• Primary and upper primary books across the state drew increasing concern

Taking serious note of the errors found in school textbooks for Classes 1 to 8, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has ordered a criminal investigation into the entire textbook preparation and publication process. There were around 1,678 errors in the newly introduced textbooks.

According to an official statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office on Saturday, the Chief Minister has directed the Director of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) to lodge an FIR with the Crime Branch SP to facilitate a comprehensive criminal investigation into the matter.

The decision comes amid growing concern over inaccuracies detected in textbooks prescribed for primary and upper primary students across the state.

COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE REASONS BEHIND ERRORS

Earlier, the Chief Minister had constituted a high-level committee under the chairmanship of the Development Commissioner to investigate the reasons behind the errors in the textbooks.

Based on the committee's findings, the state government had suspended the former Director of SCERT along with three Assistant Directors. It had also ordered departmental disciplinary proceedings against six other Assistant Directors for their alleged lapses.

With the latest directive, the state government has decided to pursue a criminal investigation in addition to departmental action to fix accountability and determine whether any criminal negligence or misconduct was involved in the preparation and publication of the textbooks.

- Ends