Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has ordered a probe against National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) officials for failing to appear before the Delhi High Court last month to defend its June 22 order to blacklist a paper supplier for delaying textbook production, people familiar with the development said on Friday.
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan (ANI Video Grab)
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The lapse led the high court to grant interim relief to the company that had challenged the council’s order. The matter will next be heard on July 20.
The minister’s intervention in the matter is part of the ministry’s “reinforcement of zero-tolerance approach towards administrative and legal lapses”, a Union education ministry spokesperson said.
The ministry has asked NCERT to examine multiple aspects of the case, including how Pune-based Bafna Global Venture Private Limited was awarded the contract for supply of Maplitho paper for academic year 2026-27 on December 1. There are allegations that the firm did not meet conditions of the tender floated on October 28 last year and that it did not adhere to the supply schedule.
On June 24, the firm approached the high court against NCERT’s decision to terminate its contract, blacklisting the firm for two years and invoking its ₹6.09 crore bank guarantee.
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However, when the matter came up before justice Mini Pushkarna, no one appeared on behalf of NCERT despite advance notice. Taking note of the submissions made by the petitioner, the court directed that no coercive action be taken against the company under the June 22 order until the next hearing on July 20. It also restrained NCERT from invoking the ₹6.09 crore bank guarantee in the interim.
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However, when the matter came up before justice Mini Pushkarna, no one appeared on behalf of NCERT despite advance notice. Taking note of the submissions made by the petitioner, the court directed that no coercive action be taken against the company under the June 22 order until the next hearing on July 20. It also restrained NCERT from invoking the ₹6.09 crore bank guarantee in the interim.
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In its petition, the company argued that delays in paper production were caused by the unavailability of hydrogen peroxide — a bleaching agent used in paper manufacturing — due to disruptions linked to the US-Iran conflict. It also contended that blacklisting should not ordinarily follow a contractual dispute where a bona fide disagreement exists.
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An official said the minister took serious note of reports that the NCERT had failed to defend its decision effectively and ordered that officials who failed to take the necessary legal steps be held accountable.
Neither NCERT nor Bafna responded to HT’s queries.
Sanjay Maurya is a Principal Correspondent with Hindustan Times, where he covers education, with a focus on school and higher education, competitive examinations, education policy and governance. Working as part of the National Bureau, he is based in New Delhi and reports on the Ministry of Education and covers various statutory bodies like UGC, AICTE and NCTE and autonomous bodies like CBSE and NCERT. His reporting also tracks the implementation of key government reforms and policies from school education to higher education including in IITs, NITs, IIMs, central and state universities, and their impact on students and educational institutions. His reporting on the irregularities and rushed implementation of CBSE's On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for evaluation of Class 12 board exams 2026, triggered administrative action, leading to the transfer of the board's two senior-most officials and the constitution of a committee to probe alleged irregularities in procurement process of the system. He joined Hindustan Times in December 2024. Prior to that, he had a three-year stint at Careers360, where he reported on school and higher education, entrance examinations, admissions, rankings and various education policies involving universities and professional education bodies. Over the years, Maurya has reported extensively on major developments in India's education sector, including the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA) following the NEET-UG 2024 controversy, changes in school education, higher education regulation, and the evolution of entrance examinations such as NEET, JEE and CUET. He regularly produces data-driven and explanatory stories based on government documents, parliamentary proceedings, court records and official data. His focus remains on helping readers understand how education policies and institutional decisions affect millions of students, teachers and educational institutions across the country.
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Home/India News/NCERT blacklists firm, skips court date to defend decision; Pradhan orders probe
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