Sir Isaac Newton as a Pilot, Hampi Temple Labelled as Konark Sun Temple: Odisha Government Orders Probe After More Than 1,600 Errors Emerge in Class 1–8 Textbooks

Key Points:

THE ODISHA GOVERNMENT has formed a three-member committee after reports emerged of more than 1,600 errors in school textbooks for Classes 1 to 8. On June 17, 2026, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi ordered a probe into the matter after several teachers pointed out grave factual errors, such as identifying Sir Isaac Newton as the “greatest pilot,” along with several other careless mistakes.

Majhi further added that the committee headed by the Development Commissioner will submit its report within seven days. The issue has sparked concern among teachers who reviewed the textbooks after they were sent to schools. The textbooks, mainly for Classes 1 to 8, were prepared for the academic year 2026–27 under the National Education Policy (NEP) and the Odisha Curriculum Framework 2025.

According to reports, the ongoing probe aims to identify those responsible for the errors. Majhi has further directed officials to take strict action against those found responsible for it. Amid the backlash, the opposition has also criticized the BJP government in the state. 

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What were the errors in the textbooks?

The School and Mass Education Department reported that the highest number of errors were found in the Class 8 textbooks. According to reports, around 1,678 errors were recorded, of which 705 were found in the Class 8 textbooks. These textbooks were prepared under the supervision of the Directorate of Teacher Education and the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).

Among the most striking errors was the identification of mathematician Sir Isaac Newton as a pilot. Other mistakes included a photograph of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly being labelled as the Odisha Assembly. Bramhananda Maharana, president of the Primary Teachers' Association, pointed out that the textbooks incorrectly stated that the Niyamgiri Hills, which are actually located in Odisha, were in Jharkhand.

Other errors included Karnataka's Hampi temple complex being labelled as the Konark Sun Temple.

How did the Opposition react to the textbook errors?

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik criticised the Majhi-led government, stating that the textbook errors are “exposing BJP’s irresponsibility."

He responded to the issue in a post on X, writing, “The discovery of thousands of errors in the Class 8 Odia textbook is exposing the BJP government's extreme irresponsibility and utterly callous attitude.” He added, “Disrespecting the names of great personalities, designating Brahmapur as a district instead of Ganjam, and writing erroneous spellings are not trivial matters.”

Further criticising the BJP government, Patnaik emphasised the significance of education and asked, “how does the BJP government intend to shape the future of children?”

[Edited by Khushboo Singh]

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