Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has ordered an inquiry against National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) officials for not appearing before the Delhi High Court last month to defend its June 22 order to blacklist a paper supplier for delaying the production of textbooks, people aware of the developments said on Friday.
This error prompted the Supreme Court to grant temporary relief to the company, which appealed the council’s order. This case is scheduled to be heard on July 20.
A spokesman for the union Ministry of Education said that the minister’s intervention in the matter comes within the framework of “strengthening the ministry’s zero-tolerance approach towards administrative and legal lapses.”
The ministry has asked NCERT to examine multiple aspects of the case, including how Pune-based Bafna Global Venture Private Limited was awarded the contract to supply Maplitho paper for the academic year 2026-27 on December 1. There are allegations that the company did not meet the conditions of the tender that was launched on October 28 last year and that it did not adhere to the supply schedule.
On June 24, the company approached the Supreme Court against NCERT’s decision to terminate its contract, blacklist the company for two years and invoke its rights. $6.09 Crores Bank Guarantee.
However, when the matter came before Justice Mini Pushkarna, no one appeared on behalf of NCERT despite prior notice. Taking into consideration the submissions made by the petitioner, the court directed that no coercive action should be taken against the company under the June 22 order till the next hearing on July 20. It also barred NCERT from invoking the order issued on June 22. $Bank guarantee of Rs 6.09 crore in the meantime.
The company said in its petition that the delay in paper production was caused by the unavailability of hydrogen peroxide – a bleaching agent used in paper making – due to unrest related to the US-Iran conflict. She also stressed that a blacklist should not normally follow a contractual dispute where there is a genuine disagreement.
The minister took serious note of reports that NCERT failed to defend its decision effectively and ordered that officials who failed to take necessary legal steps be held accountable, an official said.
Neither NCERT nor Bafna responded to HT’s queries.
