BHUBANESWAR: Members of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) on Thursday staged dharna demanding the resignation of School and Mass Education minister Nityananda Gond over the flagrant errors in the school textbooks.
Holding posters, banners and copies of the popular Odia alphabet primer ‘Madhu Barnabodha’, the students Congress activists marched towards the minister’s official residence and attempted to gherao it. However, police stopped the protesters from advancing following which a scuffle ensued between the two groups. Several NSUI activists were detained. Former NSUI president Yashir Nawaz claimed that public money worth `50 crore had been wasted in publishing these error-filled books. He said the minister had failed in his responsibilities, and demanded his resignation besides an impartial inquiry into the issue.
Meanwhile, ABVP sought action against those responsible for the mistakes in the textbooks. “The School and Mass Education department should ensure that all necessary corrections are made before the books are distributed to students,” it demanded.