Odisha Government Responds to Textbook Error Controversy: What’s Next for Students?
Odisha's Textbook Error Controversy
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government announced on Wednesday that it will soon distribute revised textbooks to students, countering claims regarding the number of inaccuracies present in the current editions.
N Thirumala Naik, the Secretary of the School and Mass Education Department, stated that the actual count of errors is significantly lower than what has been reported.
Recent allegations suggested over 1,600 mistakes in textbooks for Classes I to VIII, including misspellings and incorrect names of notable figures, leading to heightened criticism of the BJP-led government.
Opposition parties have accused the administration of showing a "careless and utterly negligent attitude," which they claim has tarnished the pride of the Odia community. They are calling for the resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond and a CBI investigation into the issue.
During his first press conference addressing the uproar, Naik emphasized the government's commitment to rectifying the errors and ensuring that students receive new textbooks promptly. In the meantime, corrected sheets will be provided to teachers for students to continue their studies.
While Naik acknowledged that some errors were found, he dismissed the claim of 1,678 mistakes as exaggerated.
"The figures circulating in the media and on social platforms are inaccurate. The true number of errors is much less than what has been claimed," he stated, without specifying the exact number of errors identified by the government.
He also sidestepped questions regarding the inclusion of a Rajasthani folk song in the textbooks intended for Odisha students.
Naik assured that corrective actions are underway to address the reported mistakes, and the department is working on fixing major errors while new editions are being prepared for distribution.
"Experts and senior officials are currently reviewing the errors, and we have sought public feedback. The Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA) has published a list of corrections on its website," he added.
The government is striving to expedite the provision of new textbooks, with officials instructed to finalize corrections transparently and swiftly.
Naik mentioned that actions have already been taken against certain officials based on a report from a high-level committee led by Development Commissioner DK Singh, indicating that further actions may follow.
In Nabarangpur, the Congress party has called for a 12-hour shutdown in protest against the textbook errors and is demanding the resignation of Gond, who is from the district.