Bhubaneswar, Aug 5: The Odisha government on Wednesday dismissed reports alleging errors in the revised school textbooks, stating that the claims have “no factual basis” and clarifying that the textbook revision process is still in progress. The clarification comes amid renewed controversy following reports of fresh discrepancies in a Class I textbook.
In a statement posted on its official X handle, the Department of School & Mass Education (SMEOdisha) said that media reports claiming mistakes in the revised textbooks were misleading. The department emphasized that the revision exercise is yet to be completed and that the final versions of the books are being prepared after extensive consultation with educationists, subject experts and academicians.
“Some media outlets are reporting errors in the revised textbooks. It is clarified that there is no truth to these reports. The revision process is ongoing based on suggestions from experts, and the revised books will be made available to students after completion of the exercise,” the department stated.
The clarification came even as reports surfaced alleging fresh errors in Jhulana-1, the prescribed textbook for Class I students. According to the allegations, the book introduces the Odia alphabet in an unconventional order. It has also been claimed that a line in Odisha’s state anthem, Bande Utkala Janani, has been printed incorrectly by omitting one of the repeated words in the phrase “Ghana Ghana Banabhumi.” Another reported discrepancy relates to the spelling of the word “Utkala” in the national anthem reproduced in the textbook.
The latest controversy follows criticism over alleged errors detected in several school textbooks in recent weeks, prompting the state government to undertake a comprehensive review of educational materials.
Reiterating its stand, the School and Mass Education Department said the revision process is being carried out with due care and expert guidance. It assured that only the thoroughly vetted and corrected editions would be distributed to students, ensuring quality and accuracy in school education.
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