The Odisha Crime Branch on Tuesday detained former SCERT Director Manoj Padhy for questioning over alleged irregularities in the preparation of school textbooks that sparked a major controversy across the state.
Padhi’s detention marks a key development in the ongoing probe into errors found in newly published textbooks for Classes I to VIII. Earlier, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had suspended Padhi following widespread criticism. The Crime Branch took charge of the investigation after receiving a written complaint from SCERT Director Madhusmita Sahu.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted under the supervision of the Crime Branch Superintendent of Police, with DSP Narendra Kumar Behera appointed as the Investigating Officer. The probe will scrutinise every stage of the textbook preparation process — from content development and approval to printing and distribution — to identify lapses and fix accountability.
The controversy erupted after more than 1,600 errors were detected in the newly printed textbooks, prompting outrage among educationists, Opposition parties, and parents. The incident has raised serious concerns about editorial oversight and quality control in educational materials distributed to government schools.
Officials said the investigation aims to ensure transparency and restore public confidence in the state’s textbook production system.
