Vinay Kumar
NEW DELHI: Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has ordered a probe and strict action against officials after NCERT failed to appear before the Delhi High Court to defend its decision to blacklist a paper supplier accused of delaying textbook production, sources said.The ministry has asked NCERT to examine how Bafna Global Venture Private Limited was selected despite allegedly not meeting the required conditions, why it subsequently failed to adhere to the paper-supply schedule and how the council’s case went unrepresented in court.MoE officials said the ministry had earlier asked the council to expedite textbook production and prepare a procurement protocol to ensure books were available on time. The latest lapse has raised fresh questions over the council’s procurement and legal processes.The firm approached the high court on June 24 challenging NCERT’s June 22 order debarring it for two years from participating in the council’s procurement process.With no representative appearing on behalf of NCERT during the hearing, the court granted the company interim protection from coercive action until further orders. It also restrained NCERT from invoking a bank guarantee of more than Rs 6 crore furnished by the supplier.“Taking serious note of reports that NCERT failed to effectively defend its decision to blacklist a paper supplier before the Delhi High Court, union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has directed strict action against the officers responsible for the lapse,” a source said.Officials responsible for failing to initiate the required legal steps will be identified and held accountable, sources said, adding that Pradhan had underlined a zero-tolerance approach towards administrative and legal lapses in textbook procurement and production.The supplier told the court that paper manufacturing was delayed because hydrogen peroxide, used as a bleaching agent, had become unavailable due to the conflict involving Iran. The matter will next be heard on July 20.
