NCERT blacklists agency, skips court docket date to defend determination; Pradhan orders probe
Union training minister Dharmendra Pradhan has ordered a probe towards Nationwide Council of Instructional Analysis and Coaching (NCERT) officers for failing to look earlier than the Delhi Excessive Courtroom final month to defend its June 22 order to blacklist a paper provider for delaying textbook manufacturing, individuals accustomed to the event stated on Friday.
The lapse led the excessive court docket to grant interim aid to the corporate that had challenged the council’s order. The matter will subsequent be heard on July 20.
The minister’s intervention within the matter is a part of the ministry’s “reinforcement of zero-tolerance strategy in direction of administrative and authorized lapses”, a Union training ministry spokesperson stated.
The ministry has requested NCERT to look at a number of points of the case, together with how Pune-based Bafna World Enterprise Personal Restricted was awarded the contract for provide of Maplitho paper for educational 12 months 2026-27 on December 1. There are allegations that the agency didn’t meet circumstances of the tender floated on October 28 final 12 months and that it didn’t adhere to the availability schedule.
On June 24, the agency approached the excessive court docket towards NCERT’s determination to terminate its contract, blacklisting the agency for 2 years and invoking its ₹6.09 crore financial institution assure.
Nonetheless, when the matter got here up earlier than justice Mini Pushkarna, nobody appeared on behalf of NCERT regardless of advance discover. Being attentive to the submissions made by the petitioner, the court docket directed that no coercive motion be taken towards the corporate underneath the June 22 order till the subsequent listening to on July 20. It additionally restrained NCERT from invoking the ₹6.09 crore financial institution assure within the interim.
In its petition, the corporate argued that delays in paper manufacturing have been attributable to the unavailability of hydrogen peroxide — a bleaching agent utilized in paper manufacturing — resulting from disruptions linked to the US-Iran battle. It additionally contended that blacklisting mustn’t ordinarily comply with a contractual dispute the place a bona fide disagreement exists.
An official stated the minister took severe word of studies that the NCERT had did not defend its determination successfully and ordered that officers who did not take the mandatory authorized steps be held accountable.
Neither NCERT nor Bafna responded to HT’s queries.
