Bhubaneswar, June 30: BJD president and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday slammed the Odisha Government’s flip-flop policy on faulty school textbooks.
Taking to ‘X’, Patnaik said the error is an attack on children’s future. "By printing error‑ridden textbooks and then flip‑flopping on their withdrawal, we are shaking the very foundation of our children’s tomorrow," said Patnaik.
“School textbooks are not just books. For every child, they are the first source of truth. A child may question many things, but never the words printed in a school textbook. Those words are an article of absolute faith and trust. Through textbooks, an entire generation learns not only facts but also builds faith in the system and trust in society,” wrote Patnaik.
Patnaik said that callous handling of school textbooks by the Odisha BJP Government has betrayed that sacred trust.
“When that trust is compromised, the damage goes far beyond a printing error. It strikes at the very foundation of our children’s future. The callous handling of school textbooks by the Odisha BJP Government has betrayed that sacred trust. The victims are lakhs of students who are the future generation of Odisha- the torch bearers of tomorrow. By printing error‑ridden textbooks and then flip‑flopping on their withdrawal, we are shaking the very foundation of our children’s tomorrow,” wrote Patnaik.
Patnaik wrote, “A government may correct a textbook in the next edition. But who will take responsibility for the cost of shattering the faith of an entire generation of Odia children? Who will answer for the wound inflicted on their trust, a wound that no revision can heal?.”
The former CM's reaction came after after several newly-introduced textbooks for the 2026-27 academic session were found to contain hundreds of factual, grammatical and printing errors. The controversy prompted the State Governemnt to order an inquiry and fix accountability for the lapses.
