Bhubaneswar, June 25: A series of glaring errors in newly introduced school textbooks has put Odisha's School and Mass Education Department under scrutiny. From spelling mistakes and factual inaccuracies to misplaced content and incorrect illustrations, several discrepancies have been reported in textbooks distributed to students from Classes I to VIII.
One of the most notable errors was found in the Class V English textbook ‘Pallabi’, where students encounter an Odia Raja festival song on page 133 despite the book being entirely in English. The same textbook also reportedly contains spelling errors in the state anthem ‘Bande Utkala Janani’.
Similarly, the Class V literature textbook ‘Bhasha Mahak’ has drawn criticism after an illustration of Yamaraj appeared in place of Hiranyakashyapu in the chapter ‘Bhakta Prahlad’. The image depicts the character holding Yama’s traditional noose and mace, creating confusion among students and teachers alike.
Content mismatches have also surfaced in other textbooks. The Class VIII Mathematics book contains references to foot marches and pilgrimages, while the Class VII literature textbook ‘Sahitya Suman’ includes descriptions of the water cycle—a topic typically taught in Geography. Questions have also been raised over references to mythological and spiritual narratives in the Class VIII Science textbook.
As textbook distribution continues across the state, more errors are being discovered by teachers, students and parents. Many parents have taken to social media to highlight the mistakes, with several posts going viral and triggering widespread debate over the quality of the textbooks.
Following the controversy, the School and Mass Education Department has initiated a comprehensive review of the books to identify and rectify all errors. Efforts are also underway to contact subject experts and teachers who were part of the editorial committees responsible for preparing the textbooks.
According to sources, some teachers have informed officials that they are currently unable to assist in the correction process due to professional commitments. A few committee members have also claimed that concerns regarding certain errors were raised during the textbook preparation stage but were allegedly overlooked by senior officials.
SCERT had reportedly identified several errors on June 2 and informed OSEPA. Subsequently, OSEPA directed District Education Officers to communicate the corrections to teachers. However, reports suggest that many schools are yet to receive the revised correction booklets, while some institutions have not even received the full set of textbooks.
The department has decided against reprinting the textbooks for the current academic year and is instead focusing on issuing corrections. Meanwhile, preparations for textbooks for the 2027–28 academic session are expected to begin in the coming months. Officials have assured that future textbooks will undergo a more rigorous review process to ensure such mistakes are not repeated.
