Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday ordered an inquiry into mistakes found in textbooks prescribed for Classes 1 to 8 (2026-27 academic session), and to identify the officials, departments, or agencies responsible for it.
Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi. (X)
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People aware of the matter said Majhi “took a serious view” of the issue at a high-level review meeting and sought corrective measures and accountability. School and mass education minister Nityananda Gond and chief secretary Anu Garg were among those who attended the meeting.
The meeting was convened amid concern among teachers, parents, and educationists over the quality of the revised textbooks prepared in line with the National Education Policy 2020.
The Chief Minister’s Office said Majhi instructed officials to ensure that all errors are corrected immediately and safeguards are put in place to prevent a recurrence of such lapses. He sought copies of the textbooks at the review meeting.
Majhi said a three-member committee will investigate the matter and determine how the errors occurred and who was responsible, and submit its report within seven days. The committee’s is also likely to suggest corrective action
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The people cited above said further action will follow the committee’s findings. They added that strict measures are likely against those found responsible for the mistakes.
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The people cited above said further action will follow the committee’s findings. They added that strict measures are likely against those found responsible for the mistakes.
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Brahmananda Maharana, president of Odisha’s Primary Teachers Association, said 1,678 errors were identified in the textbooks, ranging from spelling mistakes, factual inaccuracies, to incorrect names of eminent personalities and wrong photographs. A photograph of the Karnataka legislative assembly in place of that of Odisha’s is among the mistakes flagged.
The mistakes raised questions about the vetting and quality-control mechanisms for the preparation of the textbooks. With the academic session underway, officials said the textbooks need to be corrected as soon as possible.
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.
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Home/India News/Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi orders inquiry into school textbook mistakes
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