- By Sarju Saran Tiwari
- Wed, 01 Jul 2026 08:26 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
- Odisha government will distribute correction sheets before revised textbooks reach students.
- A committee fixed accountability for textbook errors and suggested preventive measures.
- Officials clarified that the inclusion of "Nimbuda Nimbuda" was purely for music education.
Odisha School Textbook Errors: The Odisha School and Mass Education Department on Wednesday assured that mistakes identified in newly introduced textbooks for Classes 1 to 8 will be corrected quickly, with revised and error-free editions to be supplied to students at the earliest opportunity.
Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary N. Thirumala Naik said the government received public feedback regarding inaccuracies in some of the textbooks introduced this academic session. Following these concerns, the state administration initiated measures to review and rectify the issues.
Odisha Forms Panel Over Textbook Errors:
Taking these issues seriously, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi ordered the setting up of a committee to address the errors, identify officials responsible for the lapse, and recommend measures to prevent similar mistakes in the future.
Acting on the directions of Chief Minister Majhi, the state government constituted a committee led by the Development Commissioner to examine the issues. Based on the committee's report, responsibility has been fixed on the officials concerned, and appropriate action has been initiated, he said.
Naik informed that students from Classes I to VIII have already received their textbooks. Since the books are already in circulation, the department has finalised all necessary corrections and will immediately provide correction sheets to teachers so that classroom teaching continues without disruption until revised textbooks are printed and distributed.
He said the department is also conducting a detailed review of the textbooks with subject experts to identify any remaining errors. Corrected portions will be uploaded on the department's official website, allowing teachers, educationists, and the general public to review them and submit further suggestions.
After incorporating all valid feedback, the government will publish completely error-free textbooks and distribute them to students as early as possible, Naik said.
Official Response on 'Nimbuda Nimbuda' Song Lyrics:
Responding to the controversy over the inclusion of the popular Hindi song "Nimbuda Nimbuda" in an Odisha school textbook, Naik clarified that the lesson is about music and aims to explain how traditional folk songs from different regions are adapted and popularised by contemporary musicians, particularly in Bollywood.
He said the chapter presents examples of folk songs from different parts of the country to promote cross-cultural learning and to illustrate how regional folk traditions gain wider recognition through modern adaptations.
The reference to "Nimbuda Nimbuda" should therefore be viewed in the context of music education and not interpreted differently, he added.
Major Errors Found Across Odisha Textbooks:
The Odisha government officially acknowledged 1,678 verified errors in the newly introduced textbooks for Classes 1 to 8. While teachers had initially reported more than 2,100 mistakes, the state review process confirmed 1,678 errors requiring correction. Class 8 textbooks recorded the highest number of issues, accounting for 705 of the identified mistakes.
The errors ranged from spelling mistakes and incorrect historical references to scientific inaccuracies and wrongly labelled images. Among the notable examples were describing Sir Isaac Newton as the "greatest pilot", identifying the Hampi temple complex as the Konark Sun Temple, using an image of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly instead of the Odisha Assembly, placing the Niyamgiri Hills in Jharkhand rather than Odisha, and including lyrics from Bollywood songs in the textbooks