Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has strongly reacted to the finding of more than 1,600 errors in school textbooks for Classes I to VIII, describing the lapses as a possible conspiracy to defame the state government.
Speaking to a health event organised by an English Daily, CM Majhi said the government has taken the matter very seriously and ordered a thorough investigation into the matter.
The Chief Minister expressed suspicion over the unusually large number of errors and ordered a thorough investigation into the entire process of textbook preparation and printing. “I suspect it is a larger conspiracy to defame the government,” he said.
“ A high-level committee has been constituted to thoroughly investigate the matter and submit its report within seven days. Strict action will be taken against those found responsible. If the probe establishes any conspiracy, the cost of reprinting the corrected textbooks will be recovered from the guilty persons. We will also take necessary measures to strengthen the entire system and ensure such errors do not recur in future,” the Chief Minister said.
He announced that all faulty textbooks already distributed to students will be immediately withdrawn and replaced with corrected versions.
“Errors have occurred in the past as well, but the scale of mistakes this time is unusually large and alarming. The entire process of textbook preparation and printing needs to be thoroughly scrutinised. I strongly suspect it is part of a larger conspiracy to defame the government,” the Chief Minister said.
Meanwhile, a three-member committee has already submitted its report to the Chief Minister within the stipulated seven-day deadline. The report was handed over by the panel, headed by the Development Commissioner, within the seven-day deadline set by the Chief Minister.
Earlier, the Chief Minister had directed the Development Commissioner-led panel to identify the officials and agencies responsible for the lapses and submit its report within seven days.
The massive errors in the textbooks had drawn sharp criticism from teachers, parents, and the Opposition. The state government is now working to ensure that students do not suffer due to the substandard textbooks and that accountability is fixed at the earliest.
