The Odisha textbook errors controversy has reached the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), which has sought a response from the Odisha government over mistakes found in newly published school textbooks. The Centre’s Department of School Education and Literacy has asked Odisha’s School and Mass Education Department to provide details on the matter.
According to a report published by The New Indian Express on September 28, the PMO acted after a complaint was submitted by RTI activist Pradip Pradhan regarding alleged irregularities in the printing and distribution of textbooks.
PMO Seeks Details on Odisha Textbook Errors
The School Education and Literacy Department has reportedly sought a detailed response from the state government following the PMO communication. The information requested includes details related to the textbook preparation and printing process.
The department has also been asked to explain the expenditure involved, how the process was carried out and who was associated with the work, according to the report.
The latest development comes after a government inquiry found widespread errors in textbooks for Classes 1 to 8. An inquiry report obtained through an RTI application identified 1,731 errors and pointed to weaknesses in the review and quality-control process.
Inquiry Found Gaps in Textbook Review Process
The inquiry committee found several issues in the preparation of the textbooks. These included limited time for subject experts to review manuscripts, overlapping responsibilities among writers and reviewers, and inadequate page-by-page verification of printed copies.
The committee also noted that the new textbooks for Classes 1 to 8 were prepared within a much shorter period than earlier textbook development exercises. In some cases, the same resource persons were involved in multiple stages of writing, reviewing and proofreading.
The findings have added to questions about the quality-control mechanisms used before the books were distributed to schools.
Revised Textbooks Being Distributed
Meanwhile, the Odisha government has started distributing revised textbooks. The Chief Minister’s Office said on September 23 that the School and Mass Education Department had initiated the distribution of revised books with the aim of providing more accurate and improved educational material to students.
The issue has also drawn attention because the government disclosed that ₹175 crore was spent on printing and publishing textbooks for Classes 1 to 8, while 1,741 errors were later reported in the books. The figures were provided by School and Mass Education Minister Nityanand Gond in the Odisha Assembly.
The latest PMO-related development means the Odisha textbook errors issue is now also being examined at the central level, with the state department expected to provide the requested information.
