Maharashtra’s New CBSE-Based Textbooks Under Fire Over Srinivasa Ramanujan Death Date, Phule History Errors
Maharashtra's new CBSE-based textbooks have come under scrutiny after factual and typographical errors, including Srinivasa Ramanujan's incorrect death date and a historical mistake about Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule's girls' school, were discovered.
Maharashtra's newly introduced CBSE-aligned school textbooks have come under criticism after several factual inaccuracies and typographical errors were discovered just weeks into the new academic session, raising concerns over quality control in the state's education system.
As part of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research (Balbharti) has begun rolling out CBSE-based textbooks in phases. This academic year, new books were introduced for Classes 2, 3, 4 and 6, with the transition expected to continue until 2029. ‘Isaac Newton Was a Great Pilot’: From Science Gaffes to Geography Errors, Odisha Textbooks Under Scrutiny.
Among the most significant errors is an incorrect death date of renowned mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan in the Class 4 mathematics textbook. The English and Marathi editions state that Ramanujan died on April 27, 1920, while the correct date is April 26, 1920.
The Marathi-medium mathematics textbook also contains a typographical error on page 55, where a question refers to more than 1,000 grams instead of the correct unit, more than 1,000 kilograms. Similar numerical and unit-related mistakes have also been identified in the English-medium edition. NCERT Restores Original ‘Dancing Girl’ Image After Row Over Altered Indus Valley Civilisation Artwork in Class 9 Textbook.
Another factual error appears in the Class 3 textbook, which describes the school established by social reformers Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule in Pune as Maharashtra's first girls' school. Historians have pointed out that it was India's first girls' school established by Indians for girls.
The errors came to light after concerns were raised by mathematician Dinanath Gore in the Marathi daily Sakal. Balbharti Director Anuradha Oak acknowledged that mistakes had appeared in some textbooks and assured that they would be corrected in future editions.
Until revised textbooks are printed, Balbharti said students and teachers will receive corrected information through videos accessible via QR codes printed in the books.
The incident has sparked criticism from education experts and parents, who have questioned the editorial and proofreading processes followed during the preparation of the new textbooks.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 02, 2026 09:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
