Archive · 21 Sep 2026
Odisha Students Demand Minister’s Exit Over Textbook Errors
Students in Odisha are protesting because they say many school textbooks contain serious mistakes.
They want School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond to resign.
The Cockroach Janta Party has supported their protest.
The students are using a peaceful protest called satyagraha.
They and the Biju Janata Dal planned to surround the state Assembly on September 22.
Officials said 1,678 errors were found in 55 books for students in classes 1 through 8.
Some mistakes wrongly described Isaac Newton and placed Odisha’s Niyamgiri Hills in another state.
The government said corrected books were being sent to schools.
The Bharatiya Janata Party rejected the allegations as politically motivated.
The Navnirman Yuva Chhatra Sangathan is leading a non-violent protest demanding Minister Nityananda Gond’s resignation.
The Cockroach Janta Party backed the students’ campaign, calling for education reforms and accountability.
Protesters and the Biju Janata Dal planned to gherao the Odisha Assembly on September 22.
Officials identified 1,678 errors in 55 textbooks for classes 1 to 8, including mistakes about Isaac Newton and Odisha geography.
The government began distributing corrected textbooks, with about 45,000 initially distributed in several locations.
- Who
- The Navnirman Yuva Chhatra Sangathan, the Cockroach Janta Party, the Biju Janata Dal, Odisha government officials, and Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Anil Biswal.
- What
- A student-led protest over errors in school textbooks, including a demand for Minister Nityananda Gond’s resignation and education reforms.
- When
- The Cockroach Janta Party announced its support on September 21; an Assembly gherao was planned for September 22.
- Where
- Bhubaneswar and other parts of Odisha, including the Odisha Assembly.
- Why
- Protesters seek accountability for textbook errors, greater transparency, and reforms in the education system.
Protesters and Political Supporters
Government and Bharatiya Janata Party
Responsibility for textbook errors
Protesters and Political Supporters
The Navnirman Yuva Chhatra Sangathan and the Cockroach Janta Party say the scale of the errors requires accountability, education reforms, and Minister Nityananda Gond’s resignation.
Government and Bharatiya Janata Party
The government has responded by distributing corrected textbooks, while Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Anil Biswal called the allegations political.
Handling the student agitation
Protesters and Political Supporters
Protest leaders say the government has failed to address students’ concerns and should meet the protesters directly.
Government and Bharatiya Janata Party
The government’s stated response has been to incorporate corrections into new textbooks and distribute them across schools.
- Protesting organisation
- Navnirman Yuva Chhatra Sangathan
- Main demand
- Resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond
- Errors identified
- At least 1,678 errors in 55 textbooks for classes 1 to 8
- Reported printing cost
- Rs 380 crore
- Planned action
- A peaceful gherao of the Odisha Assembly on September 22
- Government response
- Distribution of corrected textbooks had begun
- Initial distribution
- About 45,000 books were distributed in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jatani, Salipur, and Nischintakoili
