Odisha Assembly erupts over faulty textbooks and mining law changes

The monsoon session of the Odisha Assembly turned chaotic as opposition members confronted the state government on two hot issues. Biju Janata Dal and Congress lawmakers accused the Mohan Majhi administration of handing out school books riddled with mistakes and of weakening state control over mineral assets through a new mining amendment. BJD legislators demanded that School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond step down after the error‑filled textbooks were sent out for this academic year. The education department has begun issuing corrected copies, but almost half of the school term has already passed. In parallel, Congress raised the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act of 2026, saying the central government stripped the state of its authority over mining resources. They asked for the amendment to be withdrawn and queried the amount of revenue the state could lose because of it. Speaker Surama Padhy was forced to suspend the proceedings after loud protests from both parties. After the adjournment, BJD activists took their grievance to the streets, gathering at Lower PMG Square outside the assembly building. The session will run until October 3, and the government intends to table six new bills before it ends.