Textbook errors: Naveen Patnaik urges Odisha Education Minister to emulate Dharmendra Pradhan, resign
Odisha's Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik has demanded the resignation of Education Minister Nityananda Gond following the discovery of thousands of errors in government school textbooks. The demand follows the recent resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan amid national examination controversies.
Why it matters
The incident highlights significant governance and quality control issues within the state's education system, sparking political accountability debates.
Odisha 's Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik on Monday (July 27, 2026) demanded the resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond, accusing him of "breaking the trust" of students by allowing error-ridden textbooks to be distributed in government schools.
Mr. Patnaik's demand came a day after the Congress threatened an 'Odisha bandh' if the Minister did not step down in a week, holding him responsible for thousands of errors in textbooks for Classes I to VIII.
Speaking to reporters, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief said the large number of mistakes in school textbooks was unacceptable and had eroded public confidence in the education system.
"State Education Minister Gond should follow the example of Dharmendra Pradhan and resign from the post . That is what the Biju Janata Dal has been demanding for the last two-three weeks," he said.
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