The Odisha Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday arrested former State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Director Manoj Padhi over alleged irregularities in the preparation and publication of textbooks containing over 1,600 errors, causing an estimated loss of Rs. $175 crores to the state exchequer.
He added: “The lapses led to the printing and distribution of incorrect textbooks at a cost estimated at approx $“Rs 175 crore to the state exchequer,” a CID official said.
Badi was arrested after a lengthy interrogation as part of the CID’s probe into the errors found in the newly published textbooks for classes I to VIII under the state’s revised syllabus aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The CID registered a case under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including criminal conspiracy, framing a public servant of an incorrect document with intent to cause hurt, and criminal breach of trust.
CID officials alleged that Badi, who headed SCERT during the process of preparing the textbooks, failed to properly supervise, format and approve the manuscripts before publication.
Officials said he intentionally scanned print-ready copies without proper screening of factual, scientific, geographic, translation and pictorial content, amounting to criminal misconduct and criminal negligence.
Chief Minister Mohan Sharan Majhi had earlier suspended Padhi after the controversy came to light and ordered a CID probe following a complaint filed by current SCERT director Madhusmita Sahu.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT), supervised by the SP of CID, examines every stage of the textbook development process, including content creation, review, approval, printing and distribution, to determine responsibility for alleged lapses.
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The controversy erupted after more than 1,600 errors were identified in 55 textbooks prepared for primary school students under the Odisha Curriculum Framework for School Education 2025. The errors drew criticism from opposition parties, educationists and parents, raising concerns over quality control in government textbooks.
Last month, a government-appointed committee submitted its report on the investigation, after which the state suspended Badi and three assistant directors and initiated disciplinary proceedings against six other assistant directors.
Among the errors are a fifth-grade textbook claiming that infertile women can regain fertility by circumambulating Sitapinghi Cave in the Keonjhar district, mismatched illustrations and inaccurate scientific explanations.
Officials familiar with the investigation said the errors were linked to a hasty overhaul of the curriculum, insufficient time to prepare manuscripts, faulty translation of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) materials, and deviations from the prescribed textbook development process. All 55 textbooks were prepared within 15 months as the state sought to introduce the new curriculum simultaneously for classes I to VIII.
CID officials said more officials responsible for these lapses would be arrested.
