Bhubaneswar, September 30 : A 12 hour statewide bandh was observed in Odisha on Wednesday over allegations of widespread errors in school textbooks, with protesters blocking roads at several locations and demanding accountability from the state government.
The shutdown was called by the Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS) and Nabnirman Yuva Chhatra Sangathan (NYCS), which have been raising concerns over textbooks used by students from Classes 1 to 8. The organisations also sought the resignation of Odisha School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond over the issue.
In Bhubaneswar, demonstrators gathered near the Baramunda bus stand and blocked a national highway as part of the protest. Reports also indicated road blockades at other locations, including parts of Balasore. Bus services were affected in some areas, while essential services were allowed to continue.
The organisations have alleged that a large number of mistakes have appeared across school textbooks. Different statements issued by protest leaders put the number of alleged errors at more than 1,600 and, in some claims, above 2,000. The allegations concern books used in Classes 1 through 8.
The protesters have also alleged irregularities in the process through which the textbooks were prepared and published. One of the organisations claimed that public money had been wasted because of the alleged shortcomings and demanded that responsibility be fixed.
Akshay Kumar, coordinator of the Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan, said the agitation had continued for several weeks before the statewide shutdown. He claimed that around 55 textbooks contained thousands of mistakes and alleged that the government had acknowledged a substantial number of errors. These claims were made by the protesters and have not been independently established in the available reports.
The organisations said the issue was particularly important because schoolchildren depend on textbooks as a primary source of classroom learning. They argued that factual or printing mistakes can create confusion among students and place an additional burden on teachers who have to identify and explain incorrect material.
Another concern raised during the protest was the distribution of corrected textbooks. Protesters claimed that revised books had not reached all students despite concerns having been raised earlier. They said the delay could affect children as examinations approach.
The dispute has also brought attention to the wider process of textbook preparation. School textbooks are expected to provide students with accurate information in language that is appropriate for their age and curriculum level. Errors in dates, names, locations, illustrations or other factual material can therefore have consequences beyond individual classroom lessons.
Protest leaders claimed that some books contained mistakes involving geographical information and other basic details. They also alleged that errors appeared in material connected with Odisha’s cultural and national identity. One claim concerned the printing of an incorrect version of the state song “Bande Utkala Janani” in a textbook. These allegations were cited by protest organisers during the agitation.
The protesters said their campaign had continued for about 42 days by Wednesday. According to their account, demonstrations and a relay hunger strike had been organised before the bandh. They said the decision to call a statewide shutdown followed what they described as a lack of satisfactory engagement with their demands.
The bandh was scheduled from 6 am to 6 pm. Demonstrators were seen blocking roads and staging pickets at several places. In Bhubaneswar, tyres were burnt during the demonstration at Baramunda, while traffic movement was disrupted.
However, reports from different parts of the state suggested that the impact of the shutdown was uneven. Some private vehicles continued to operate and several shops remained open. Police described the situation as peaceful in areas covered by local reports, although traffic was affected in locations where protesters staged blockades.
Emergency services were reportedly exempted from the shutdown. Ambulances, fire service vehicles and electricity department vehicles were allowed to operate, according to reports from Odisha.
The dispute has become a matter of concern for parents and educators because textbook accuracy directly affects classroom instruction. Teachers often rely on prescribed books while preparing lessons, assignments and examinations. Students may also use the same material for revision and independent study.
For younger children in particular, textbooks play a major role in building basic knowledge. When mistakes are discovered, teachers may have to provide corrections during lessons or ask students to disregard specific portions of a book. Such interventions can be difficult where updated material is not immediately available.
The organisations involved in the protest have therefore linked their demands not only to correcting individual errors but also to improving the system through which educational material is reviewed and distributed.
The allegations have also raised questions about quality control. Textbooks generally pass through several stages of preparation, editing, review, printing and distribution. Protesters have called for greater accountability at each stage and have sought clarification over how the alleged mistakes reached published editions.
The financial allegations made by the protesters form another part of the controversy. They have claimed that hundreds of crores of rupees were involved in irregularities related to textbook preparation and publication. Such claims remain allegations made by the protesting organisations and would require official investigation and supporting evidence before any conclusion can be drawn.
The protest has also generated discussion about the responsibility of education authorities to ensure that students receive learning material on time. Delays in supplying corrected books can create difficulties for both students and teachers, particularly when academic schedules continue according to fixed calendars.
The organisations said they would continue their agitation if their demands were not addressed. Their immediate demands include corrective action over the alleged textbook mistakes and accountability for the process that led to the publication of the disputed material.
The episode highlights a wider issue faced by education systems: the need to maintain accuracy while preparing large volumes of learning material for distribution across schools. Any correction exercise also requires coordination among textbook developers, publishers, schools and education authorities.
For students, the immediate concern remains access to reliable study material. Teachers may need to communicate corrections clearly until revised books are supplied, while parents are likely to seek information from schools regarding which portions of the textbooks require changes.
The Odisha controversy therefore extends beyond the protest itself. It has brought textbook preparation, verification, timely distribution and public accountability into focus at a time when students are continuing with the academic year.