A major printing error has reportedly surfaced in the Class 5 English textbook in Odisha after the lyrics of a Rajasthani folk song, which is also a popular Bollywood song, were printed. The song, ‘Nimbooda Nimbooda’ was printed in one of its lessons, raising questions over the textbook’s editorial and quality-check processes.
The song, originally a Rajasthani folk song, was featured in the 1999 film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and picturised on Aishwarya Rai. It reportedly appeared in the textbook due to a publishing or printing error.
The incident has sparked a flurry of reactions online. While some users responded with humour and memes, others criticised the apparent lack of proofreading and called for greater accountability in the preparation of school textbooks.
Many questioned how such a glaring error escaped multiple levels of review before the books were printed and distributed.
One user wrote, “Can’t believe such blunder in children’s education book. We really need to be serious about this as children, what they learn today will be the nation’s future.”
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Another user wrote, “Is the @DHE_Odisha and the @dpradhanbjp blind of what is being taught in schools? On what basis were these textbooks approved? Where was the review committee before publication?”
Another X user wrote, “Odia pride is being destroyed by the half-baked government claiming to be a government—this is a stream of destruction across Odisha. One or two errors might be tolerable, but here over 2100 mistakes; if you search, you’ll find even more”
Some other user wrote, “@dpradhanbjp Please include Munni and Sheela too.”
Varsha Eknath Gaikwad, MP, Mumbai North Central, President – Mumbai Regional Congress Committee has also reacted to this incident. She took her official X handle and wrote, “Reminds me of the famous joke about a student who didn’t study for exams so wrote the plot of the film Sholay in the answer sheet. This, however, is the syllabus writer version of it.”
Until now, the Odisha School and Mass Education Department has not issued any detailed statement on the matter.
However, following this incident, educationists have stressed that textbooks, especially those intended for young students, must undergo thorough scrutiny to ensure accuracy and uphold academic standards.
