Odisha textbook row widens as Class 1 book carries fresh errors
Fresh errors have allegedly been found in an Odia textbook meant for Class 1 students in English-medium private schools in Odisha, even as the CID-Crime
Fresh errors have allegedly been found in an Odia textbook meant for Class 1 students in English-medium private schools in Odisha, even as the CID-Crime Branch investigates large-scale mistakes detected earlier in textbooks for Odia-medium government schools. The Odisha School and Mass Education Department has rejected the media reports as "unjustified" and said the process of correcting mistakes in textbooks is already underway. The state supplies Odia language textbooks to these privately run schools. Read Full Story According to teachers, the Odia textbook "Jhulana-1" contains a spelling mistake in the word "Utkala" in the Anthem.
They also said there is an error in Odisha's state song, "Bande Utkala Janani". "In the phrase 'Ghana Ghana Banabhumi' (series of forests), one 'Ghana' is missing," a teacher working in Jagatsinghpur district said. Teachers also alleged that the textbook introduces the Odia alphabet in an unusual sequence, beginning with the consonant "Cha" instead of the vowel "Aa". They said the book was creating confusion among both children and teachers. They further accused the department of electronically sending a 168-page PDF document to several schools instead of printed books, forcing parents to get the file printed for their children.
Parents have urged the government to correct the mistakes in the textbook and provide printed copies instead of PDF documents. The fresh allegations come while the CID-Crime Branch is probing errors found earlier in textbooks for Classes 1 to 8 in Odia-medium government schools. More than 1,600 mistakes, including spelling errors and incorrect names of eminent personalities, were found in 55 books supplied by the department. In a post on X on Wednesday, the School and Mass Education Department said, "Correction of mistakes in textbooks is underway on the basis of inputs provided by educationists and experts.
The rectified version of the textbooks will be provided to the students soon." Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has ordered a CID probe into the earlier textbook errors and suspects there was a "conspiracy" behind the publication of the error-ridden books. The issue has now widened from the earlier errors in government school textbooks to fresh allegations involving Class 1 Odia books supplied to private schools, with teachers and parents seeking corrected printed copies at the earliest. Ends
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