New Delhi: Odisha’s education system has come under scrutiny after officials discovered 1,678 errors in newly introduced school textbooks for Classes 1 to 8. The mistakes include factual inaccuracies, geographical mix-ups, scientific misconceptions, spelling errors, and incorrect illustrations.
The controversy erupted just as schools reopened for the 2026-27 academic session. Consequently, teachers, parents, and education experts have raised concerns about the impact on students’ learning. The large number of mistakes has also exposed serious gaps in the textbook review process.
Who Exposed the Errors?
Teachers first noticed the mistakes soon after the distribution of the new Odia-medium textbooks. After reviewing the books, Brahmananda Maharana, president of the Primary Teachers Association, revealed that they contained 1,678 errors.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Parents’ Federation strongly criticized the lapses and called them a “crime against children’s future.” Teachers also pointed out incorrect photographs, misleading captions, and conceptual mistakes. In response, the School and Mass Education Department prepared a corrigendum for immediate classroom use.
The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) developed the books under the Directorate of Teacher Education as an experimental edition for the new curriculum. However, the sheer number of errors has raised serious questions about the quality-check process.
Most Shocking Mistakes in Odisha Textbooks
Several mistakes have gone viral and sparked widespread criticism.
- A Class 8 Science textbook describes Sir Isaac Newton as the “greatest pilot” instead of the renowned physicist and mathematician.
- The books use a photograph of Bengaluru’s Vidhan Soudha but identify it as the Odisha Legislative Assembly.
- They wrongly present Karnataka’s Vijaya Vittala Temple at Hampi as Odisha’s famous Konark Sun Temple.
- They place Odisha’s Niyamgiri Hills, home to the Dongria Kondh tribal community, in Jharkhand.
- They also describe Berhampur, a city in Ganjam district, as a separate district.
Scientific and Conceptual Errors
The textbooks contain several basic academic mistakes. For example, they label temperature as pressure and confuse a food web with a food cycle. They also replace “Equinox” with “Equator,” mix up wheat and paddy in agriculture lessons, and include spelling errors such as “Gretest” instead of “Greatest.”
Error Breakdown
Class 8 textbooks account for the highest number of mistakes with 705 errors. The Jijnasa textbook contains 294 errors, while Sanskrit books have 114 errors. Additionally, Social Science, Literature, English, and Mathematics books also contain multiple inaccuracies.
Government orders high-level probe
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi acted swiftly after reviewing the issue at Lok Seva Bhawan with School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond, Chief Secretary Anu Garg, and senior officials.
The government has formed a three-member high-level committee headed by Development Commissioner Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh. The panel must submit its report within seven days and identify those responsible.
Moreover, the government has promised strict action against the guilty officials. It has also started reviewing the entire textbook preparation process to prevent similar mistakes in the future.
For the current academic year, schools will use corrigenda and teachers will explain the corrected content in classrooms. Revised textbooks are expected to reach students in the 2027-28 session.
Political reactions and wider impact
Opposition parties, including the BJD and Congress, have criticized the BJP-led government and called the episode a failure of governance. They have also described the mistakes as an insult to Odisha’s educational standards.
Education experts, however, say the controversy highlights the need for stronger quality checks. They recommend multiple rounds of review by subject experts, linguists, and fact-checkers before printing textbooks.
Parents and teachers are now demanding complete corrections and, wherever possible, fresh copies of the books. They believe only a thorough revision can restore confidence in Odisha’s public education system and protect students from learning incorrect information.
Prateeksha Kumari is a journalist and strategic communications professional specialising in digital journalism, political reporting, and public affairs. Her work focuses on grassroots issues, governance, and civic developments, with an emphasis on clarity, accuracy, and narrative-driven reporting.
She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla and has qualified the UGC-NET examination, reflecting her academic grounding in media studies and communication research. Her reporting spans politics, public policy, health, education, and socio-economic issues, and she is experienced in bilingual (Hindi and English) content creation tailored to diverse audiences.
Alongside her journalistic work, she brings experience in political communication and public relations, where she has contributed to campaign messaging, media outreach, and narrative building. She has worked on integrated communication strategies across print and digital platforms, combining editorial judgment with audience insight and data-led content approaches.
