Odisha Crime Branch registers case over school textbook errors in Classes I-VIII
Synopsis
Odisha's textbook scandal has crossed from administrative embarrassment to criminal territory. The Crime Branch has registered a formal case — with multiple investigation teams — after hundreds of errors were found in school textbooks for Classes I to VIII. Four officials are already suspended, and the probe now covers the entire chain from preparation to publication.
Key Takeaways
Crime Branch of Odisha Police registered Case No.
08/2026 on 13 July 2026 over textbook irregularities for Classes I to VIII .
The FIR was filed by Madhusmita Sahoo , Director of SCERT, following a directive from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on 11 July 2026 .
Case registered under Sections 316(5), 201, 3(5), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 .
The former Director of SCERT and three Assistant Directors have been suspended; disciplinary action ordered against six other Assistant Directors .
The newly published textbooks were found to contain hundreds of errors , triggering widespread public criticism.
The Crime Branch of Odisha Police formally registered a case on Monday, 13 July 2026, to investigate irregularities in the preparation, approval, and publication of school textbooks for Classes I to VIII across the state. The case was registered following a written complaint by Madhusmita Sahoo, Director of Teacher Education and the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Odisha.
Case Details and Investigation Structure
The Crime Branch registered Case No. 08/2026 under Sections 316(5), 201, 3(5), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. According to an official statement, the investigation is being led by Narendra Kumar Behera, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), CID CB, under the supervision of the Superintendent of Police (SP), CID, CB.
Multiple specialised teams have been constituted to examine various aspects of the case, including the preparation, approval, processing, and publication of the textbooks. The Crime Branch has indicated a wide-ranging probe covering all stages of the textbook lifecycle.
Chief Minister's Directive That Triggered the FIR
The criminal investigation was set in motion after Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on 11 July 2026 directed that a formal criminal probe be conducted into the entire textbook process. He specifically instructed the Director of SCERT to lodge a First Information Report (FIR) with the SP, Crime Branch, to ensure an independent inquiry.
This came after the Chief Minister had earlier constituted a high-level committee chaired by the Development Commissioner to ascertain the root causes of the errors. The committee's findings led to swift administrative action.
Officials Suspended, Disciplinary Action Ordered
Acting on the committee's report, the state government placed the former Director of SCERT and three Assistant Directors under suspension. Disciplinary proceedings were separately ordered against six other Assistant Directors.
The cascading accountability measures signal that the Odisha government is treating the matter as a serious institutional failure rather than a routine administrative lapse.
Scale of Errors and Public Backlash
The newly published textbooks for Classes I to VIII were found to contain hundreds of errors, triggering widespread public criticism and placing the state government in an uncomfortable position. The scale of the mistakes — spanning factual inaccuracies, typographical errors, and content inconsistencies — drew sharp reactions from parents, educators, and opposition groups.
Notably, this is not the first time Indian states have faced textbook controversy, but the volume of errors and the speed of the criminal referral make the Odisha case unusually consequential. The outcome of the Crime Branch investigation is expected to determine whether systemic negligence or deliberate misconduct was at play.
Point of View
Or stop at the suspended officials. Textbook errors at this scale rarely happen in isolation; they typically reflect systemic failures in tendering, editorial oversight, and quality control — all of which involve multiple layers of government approval. If the Crime Branch's mandate is genuinely wide, the investigation could expose uncomfortable truths about how state educational publishing actually works.
NationPress
14 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Odisha school textbook case registered by the Crime Branch?
The Crime Branch of Odisha Police registered Case No. 08/2026 on 13 July 2026, to investigate irregularities in the preparation, approval, and publication of school textbooks for Classes I to VIII. The case was filed under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, after hundreds of errors were found in the newly published textbooks.
Who ordered the criminal investigation into the Odisha textbook errors?
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi directed the criminal investigation on 11 July 2026, instructing the Director of SCERT to lodge an FIR with the Crime Branch's Superintendent of Police to ensure an independent probe.
Which officials have been suspended over the Odisha textbook controversy?
The former Director of SCERT and three Assistant Directors were placed under suspension based on findings of a high-level committee chaired by the Development Commissioner. Disciplinary proceedings have also been ordered against six other Assistant Directors.
What sections of law apply to the Odisha textbook irregularities case?
The case has been registered under Sections 316(5), 201, 3(5), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The investigation is being led by DSP Narendra Kumar Behera under the supervision of the SP, CID, CB.
How many errors were found in the Odisha school textbooks?
The newly published textbooks for Classes I to VIII were reported to contain hundreds of errors, according to official accounts. The scale of the mistakes triggered widespread criticism from parents, educators, and the public, prompting the Chief Minister to order both an administrative inquiry and a criminal investigation.
