Indus Valley Times

Opposition steps up pressure for school and mass education minister Nityananda Gond’s resignation

By Sukant Mohanty

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 25: The Odisha government on Friday admitted in the Assembly that as many as 1,741 errors had been detected in the new textbooks for Classes I to VIII, intensifying the controversy over the quality of school education and putting the BJP government on the defensive in the ongoing Monsoon Session.

Replying to a question from BJD MLA Gautam Buddha Das, school and mass education minister Nityananda Gond said the government was continuing to supply corrected and error-free textbooks to students. Around Rs 175 crore has been spent on the printing and supply of the textbooks, he said.

The minister said action had already been taken against 10 persons in connection with the errors, while disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against six deputy directors. Three deputy directors, including a former director, have also been suspended in connection with the lapses, Gond informed the House.

The scale of the errors has already triggered questions over the system of preparation, scrutiny and approval of the textbooks before they were supplied to students. A three-member inquiry panel, which examined the matter, reportedly found that the lapses were not confined to printing mistakes but included errors relating to content, concepts, facts, pictures and language. The panel also pointed to weaknesses in the academic review process.

The issue has now acquired a major political dimension, with the Opposition Biju Janata Dal and Congress stepping up their attack on the BJP government and demanding Gond’s resignation. The Opposition has argued that the minister, being in charge of the department, should accept responsibility for such a large-scale lapse in textbooks meant for schoolchildren. The BJD had earlier announced protests and an Assembly gherao over the issue, while Opposition members have repeatedly raised the demand inside the House.

The controversy has also contributed to repeated disruptions of the Assembly during the current session. BJD and Congress members have entered the Well of the House and raised slogans over the textbook issue, with the BJD specifically demanding Gond’s resignation. On Friday, proceedings were disrupted for the fourth consecutive day as the Opposition combined the textbook issue with its protest over the MMDR Amendment Act.

The BJP government, however, has maintained that corrective measures have already been initiated and action taken against officials found responsible. BJP MLA Ashok Mohanty has defended Gond, arguing that there was no question of the minister’s resignation as the government had already acted against those responsible for the errors.

The textbook controversy has consequently emerged as one of the major political flashpoints of the current Assembly session. While the Opposition is seeking to turn the issue into a question of ministerial accountability, the government is emphasising corrective action and disciplinary measures against officials.