Orissa HC requests government to revisit book choice for college libraries

A row has erupted over the choice of books for college libraries in non-government colleges in Odisha with charges of favoritism and procedural irregularities leading to a legal intervention. The Orissa High Court has ordered the secretary of the Higher Education department to examine the grievance of the Kalinga Publishers and Booksellers Association in line with law within a period of 30 days.

The single bench of Justice BP Routray also noted that the department can consider stopping the supply of the books that have been shortlisted until a final order is passed on the issue. The directive is likely to stop the current supply process temporarily, and everyone is now waiting for the next move of the Higher Education department.

The case has highlighted issues of transparency and equity in educational procurement processes. The Kalinga Publishers and Booksellers Association, Cuttack, had challenged the process of reading selections in a writ petition. The association, which represents booksellers and publishers in the state, accused the selected committee that was mandated to recommend books for college libraries of acting arbitrarily and without diligence in meeting norms.

The petition states that among the hundreds of books certified, close to 350 titles were from only five publishers in total, triggering serious doubts of bias as well as a lack of transparency. Referring to the June 9, 2025 grievance letter to the commissioner-cum-secretary of the Higher Education department, the association demanded quashing of the approved book list at the earliest. Association president Joy Krishna Mohapatra also sought a formal investigation into the issue and strict action against officials involved in the irregularities, as alleged.

The representation stated that most of the 350 books in the booklist only include a few publishers who are in connivance with government officials and have grouped together. The booklist given includes the name of the book and name of the author but no mention of the name of the publishers is made. The name of the publishers has specifically been omitted as most of the books are of these few persons, the representation stated.