BJD demands minister’s ouster over textbook blunders, seeks CBI probe into Rs 380-crore textbook scam

The Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Sunday demanded the resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond within 48 hours of detecting large-scale errors in school textbooks for Classes I to VIII.

The party sought recovery of the expenditure incurred on printing the defective books from those responsible. They also pressed for the immediate publication of the inquiry report and a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged Rs 380-crore textbook publication scam.

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It may be noted here that the government on Friday last suspended four senior officials of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), including its former Director, and initiated disciplinary proceedings against six others after a high-level inquiry held them accountable.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarter here, Biju Yuva Janata Dal president Chinmay Sahu and Biju Chhatra Janata Dal president Ipsita Sahu alleged that the errors had severely undermined the state’s education system and jeopardised the future of lakhs of students.

They accused the BJP government of failing in its responsibility and criticised Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for not taking action against those responsible.

The glaring blunders have drawn national attention and brought embarrassment to Odisha, they said.

Around 1,768 errors had been identified in the NEP-2020-based Odia textbooks for Classes I to VIII, Sahu said adding the lapses were not just administrative mistakes but an assault on the Odia language, culture, heritage and the future of lakhs of students.

Of the total errors, 705 were found in the Class VIII textbooks alone.

The books contain spelling mistakes, factual inaccuracies, errors relating to geography, history and literature, incorrect names of eminent personalities, mismatched photographs and wrong place names. It cited instances where a photograph of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly was used as that of the Odisha Legislative Assembly, Niyamgiri was shown as being in Jharkhand and Ganjam district was referred to as “Berhampur district,” calling them a serious affront to Odisha’s identity.

BJD’s youth and student wings would launch a statewide agitation if the party’s demands were not met and continue their protest until stringent action was taken against those responsible, they concluded.