Corrected Textbooks for Classes I to VIII Likely to Reach Odisha Students This Week

Corrected Textbooks for Classes I to VIII Likely to Reach Odisha Students This Week

The Odisha government is likely to provide corrected and error-free textbooks to students during the current academic year following a detailed review of books for Classes I to VIII.

The School and Mass Education Department has completed corrections in 55 textbooks following directions from the Chief Minister. More than 27 language experts reviewed the revised books multiple times, checking sentences and individual words on every page.

According to officials from the Directorate of Teacher Education and the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), the desktop publishing work has been completed and the revised books are now ready for printing. The textbooks for all eight classes are expected to be printed and distributed within two to three days.

School and Mass Education Department Secretary N Thirumala Naik has personally supervised the review process to ensure that the revised textbooks are free from major errors.

However, funding remains a concern. Officials estimate that around Rs 350 crore will be required to provide textbooks covering all subjects to nearly 40 lakh students.

Under the free textbook scheme, the Centre contributes 60% of the funding, while the state government contributes the remaining 40%. The Centre has already released its share for the 2026-27 academic year. However, the state government and the School and Mass Education Department have reportedly not made a separate budgetary provision for the additional expenditure required to print the corrected textbooks