BJD Demands Odisha Education Minister's Resignation Over Textbook Errors

BJD seeks Odisha Education Minister Nityananda Gond's resignation over textbook errors, alleging corruption and demanding a CBI investigation.
on Jun 29, 2026

The debate on errors found in the recently published school textbooks of Odisha has gained momentum, with the BJD asking for the resignation of the minister for Schools and Mass Education, Nityananda Gond. With moral culpability of the minister for errors committed, the opposition party has accused the ministry of major irregularities in the production of textbooks for classes one to eight as per NEP 2020.

Addressing a press conference, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty claimed that the textbook printing process involved corruption worth nearly Rs 380 crore. He alleged that the widespread mistakes found across several textbooks reflected gross negligence and called for a thorough investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The party also urged the state government to recover the financial losses from those responsible for producing and approving the faulty textbooks.

According to Mohanty, the problem goes beyond typographical and editing blunders. The errors made in the Odia language text books, as per him, have jeopardized the linguistic and cultural legacy of the state. He said that due to these errors, students and teachers were confused and the credibility of the education system was undermined. In his criticism of the state government, he raised a pertinent question about the lack of accountability on the part of the ministers.

In their intensified agitation against him, the presidents of Biju Yuva Janata Dal, Chinmay Sahu, and Biju Chhatra Janata Dal, Ipsita Sahu, threatened to conduct protests at his residence in case he failed to resign within 48 hours. According to them, the government had to bear the brunt of such oversights rather than merely the concerned department.

The demands come after the Odisha government suspended four officials and initiated disciplinary proceedings against six others following the discovery of numerous factual, grammatical, and printing errors in the textbooks. The state administration has acknowledged the mistakes and stated that corrective measures are being taken to revise the books and ensure that similar lapses do not occur in future editions.

As the political conflict continues to escalate, the textbook row is drawing attention towards the quality control process in educational publishing as well as curriculum reforms under NEP. Considering that there are ongoing investigations, and the opposition parties are calling for more accountability, this debate is likely to continue being at the forefront of politics in Odisha.