Bhubaneswar: The Directorate of Textbook Production and Marketing (TBP&M), Odisha, has clarified that a portion of the textbook printing work for the 2026-27 academic session was outsourced to private printing presses due to the extensive revision of school textbooks under the new curriculum framework.
The clarification comes in the wake of a controversy surrounding errors detected in newly introduced textbooks for Classes I to VIII in government schools across the state. According to official information, approximately Rs 21 crore was spent on outsourced printing during the current academic year.
Over 1,600 Errors Reportedly Detected
The issue gained attention after a review of textbooks prepared by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) reportedly identified 1,678 errors across 55 textbooks developed under the National Curriculum Framework (NCF).
Following complaints submitted to the Chief Minister’s grievance cell regarding the large number of mistakes, TBP&M explained that the outsourcing decision was taken with government approval and was necessitated by the scale and urgency of the revised textbook project.
Major Curriculum Overhaul Increased Workload
The directorate stated that the revised textbooks were introduced for the 2026-27 academic session following recommendations made during a state-level committee meeting held on May 21, 2025.
Under the new curriculum structure, SCERT prepared 55 textbooks, compared to 46 textbooks in the previous academic year. Officials noted that the expanded syllabus and updated content significantly increased the volume of work involved in textbook production.
Nearly 3 Crore Textbooks Required
According to estimates provided by the Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA), the state required approximately 2.98 crore textbooks for distribution during the 2026-27 academic session.
This marks a substantial increase from the nearly 2 crore textbooks printed and supplied during the previous academic year.
TBP&M further pointed out that many of the newly developed books contain a higher number of pages and require multicolour printing, adding to production complexity and time constraints.
Outsourcing Approved to Meet Deadlines
Officials stated that outsourcing part of the printing work was necessary to ensure timely availability of textbooks before the start of the academic session.
The directorate maintained that the decision was taken after assessing printing capacity and operational requirements, with the objective of ensuring that students received updated textbooks without delay.
Focus on Correcting Errors
The reported printing and content-related errors have triggered discussions regarding quality control and textbook review mechanisms.
Education authorities are expected to examine the issues identified in the books and take corrective measures to ensure improved accuracy in future editions.
The textbook revision exercise forms part of Odisha’s broader effort to align school education with the National Curriculum Framework and modernize learning materials for students across government schools.
