Bhubaneswar, Jun 26: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has initiated strong action on the errors detected in newly published government school textbooks for Classes I to VIII, suspending senior officials of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT Odisha) and ordering systemic reforms to safeguard children’s education, officials said on Friday.

The disciplinary measures followed the submission of a report by a committee chaired by Development Commissioner Deoranjan Kumar Singh. Acting on its recommendations, the Chief Minister suspended former SCERT Director Manoj Padhy along with three Assistant Directors — Pralipta Mishra, Dilip Kumar Sahu, and Bharati Tudu. Six other Assistant Directors — Bandita Pattnaik, Manas Ranjan Raut, Manoranjan Mohapatra, Dr. Prashant Kumar Sahu, Manas Kumar Nayak, and Dr. Sudarshan Santra — face disciplinary proceedings.

The committee’s findings pointed to serious lapses in textbook preparation and approval processes. To prevent recurrence, the government will implement 14 corrective measures. These include the preparation of a master errata register, dissemination of corrected information to all students, and the establishment of a Quality Assurance Cell within SCERT. The cell will vet language, illustrations, factual accuracy, and printing standards before textbooks are sent to press.

Officials emphasised that no textbook will henceforth be printed without mandatory approvals, ensuring accountability at every stage. The reforms, they said, are aimed at restoring public confidence in the education system and guaranteeing that children receive accurate and reliable learning material.
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The move has been welcomed by educationists and parents, who view it as a necessary intervention to protect the integrity of children’s education. The establishment of a Quality Assurance Cell is expected to set new benchmarks in textbook preparation and publishing standards in Odisha, while the disciplinary action underscores the government’s resolve to strengthen education governance.

Notably, the errors, identified in textbooks prepared by SCERT Odisha under the Odisha Curriculum 2025 and aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), go beyond typographical mistakes with 1,678 errors. They include factual inaccuracies, geographical distortions, misspelled names of noted personalities, and incorrect photographs.