Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has ordered an inquiry into the conduct of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) officials after the council allegedly failed to defend its decision to blacklist a paper supplier before the Delhi High Court, according to sources.
Sources said the minister has also directed that responsibility be fixed on officials who allegedly failed to take the necessary legal steps during the court proceedings, calling for strict action over the reported lapse.
The case concerns Bafna Global Venture Private Limited, which approached the Delhi High Court on June 24 challenging an NCERT order issued on June 22 that barred the company from participating in the council's procurement process for two years.
During the hearing, no representative from NCERT appeared before the court. The Delhi High Court subsequently granted interim relief to the company, protecting it from coercive action until further orders.
The court also restrained NCERT from invoking the company's bank guarantee of more than Rs 6 crore.
"Taking serious note of reports that NCERT failed to effectively defend its decision to blacklist a paper supplier before the Delhi High Court, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has directed strict action against the officers responsible for the lapse," a source said.
Ministry orders broader inquiry
"The minister has ordered accountability for the officials who failed to take the necessary legal steps, reinforcing a zero-tolerance approach towards administrative and legal lapses while ensuring greater accountability in textbook production and procurement," the source added.
According to the source, the minister has also instructed that strict legal action be initiated against officials who allegedly failed to comply with the directions issued by the Delhi High Court.
The Ministry of Education has asked NCERT to investigate several aspects of the matter, including how Bafna Global Venture Private Limited was selected despite allegedly not meeting the prescribed eligibility criteria.
The ministry has also sought an explanation for the company's alleged failure to adhere to the scheduled timeline for paper supply, as well as the reasons why NCERT's case went unrepresented before the Delhi High Court.
During the hearing, the company argued that delays in printing textbooks were caused by a shortage of hydrogen peroxide, a bleaching agent used in paper manufacturing, which it attributed to the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
The Delhi High Court is scheduled to hear the matter again on July 20.
