Bhubaneswar: Stepping up the probe in the sensational textbook error case, the Crime Branch of State Police on Friday conducted a search operation and questioned officials at Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA) office in Bhubaneswar.
Sources said a five-member team of Crime Branch, led by DSP Narendra Behera, visited the OSEPA headquarters and carried out a detailed investigation as part of the ongoing probe into the textbook irregularities.
Crime Branch officers also questioned OSEPA Deputy Director Itishree Nayak about the preparation, review, and publication of the textbooks. The team is examining the role of officials and the procedures followed before the books were approved for distribution.
The interrogation of officials is part of the Crime Branch’s ongoing efforts to determine responsibility for the textbook errors and gather evidence related to the case. Further inquiry is expected as the probe continues.
After completing the investigation process at OSEPA office, the Crime Branch officials are expected to visit the SCERT office in the city as part of the probe, said a senior official.
It may be noted that the Crime Branch recently arrested former SCERT Director Manoj Padhi in connection with the largescale irregularities in the preparation and publication of government school textbooks.
According to sources, as many as 1,678 errors were detected in textbooks from Class I to VIII, including grammatical, factual, historical, and geographical inaccuracies. OSEPA had earlier circulated a 122 page correction list to district education officers for teachers’ reference, but even that list reportedly contained multiple mistakes.
The textbooks were prepared under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and preliminary findings suggest a financial loss of around Rs 175 crore to the state exchequer due to faulty printing and distribution.
Officials said the Crime Branch is examining digital records, correspondence, and procurement documents to identify as to who all were responsible for lapses in the process.