Textbook errors: Odisha CM Majhi orders high-level probe by DC, vows action
BHUBANESWAR: Taking serious note of the large number of published by the state government, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday ordered a high-level inquiry and warned of stringent action against those found responsible for the mistakes.
Chairing a high-level meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan, Majhi directed immediate corrective measures to rectify the mistakes in the textbooks and ensure that students are not adversely affected.The meeting, attended virtually by School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond, chief secretary Anu Garg and senior officials from various departments, deliberated on the lapses in the preparation and publication of the textbooks.
Copies of the textbooks (from Classes I to VIII) were taken to the meeting where the chief minister perused some of the books. He expressed his displeasure for the lackadaisical and unprofessional approach of the department officials.
To fix responsibility for the errors, the chief minister ordered constitution of a three-member high-level committee under the chairmanship of thedevelopment commissioner. The committee has been tasked with identifying the officials or institutions responsible for the lapses and recommending corrective measures.
The committee has been directed to submit its report within seven days. Based on its findings, the state government will initiate stringent action against the officials or agencies found accountable.The government has also instructed the authorities concerned to immediately rectify the errors in the textbooks to safeguard the interests of students.
The new textbooks were prepared by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in sync with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The books have already been distributed across the districts.
At least 1,678 factual and typographical errors were detected in textbooks meant for Classes I to VIII. The Class VIII textbooks suffered the largest number of inaccuracies at 705, inviting criticism from the opposition political parties.