Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has ordered strict action against NCERT officials after the council failed to defend its blacklisting of Bafna Global Venture Private Limited in the Delhi High Court, raising accountability concerns in India’s textbook procurement process.
NCERT’s Legal Lapse and Financial Stakes
The Delhi High Court on June 24 granted interim relief to Bafna Global Venture, barring NCERT from invoking a Rs 6 crore bank guarantee and coercive action. The firm, blacklisted on June 22 for two years, had moved court after NCERT failed to appear for the hearing.
Sources confirm the minister has directed accountability measures for officials who neglected legal steps, emphasizing zero tolerance for administrative lapses in procurement.
Supplier Selection and Court Representation Under Scrutiny
The Ministry of Education has asked NCERT to investigate:
- How Bafna Global Venture was selected despite alleged non-compliance with conditions
- Why the firm failed to meet the paper-supply schedule
- Why NCERT’s case went unrepresented in court
Bafna Global Venture attributed delays to hydrogen peroxide shortages, citing the war in Iran as a disruptor. The case is now listed for July 20 in the Delhi High Court.
