The Union ministry of education has ordered a probe into the National Council of Educational Research and Training's (NCERT) decision to blacklist a firm responsible for supplying paper for school textbooks.

The inquiry will examine the circumstances leading to the blacklisting, whether due process was followed, and the potential implications for textbook production.NCERT had earlier blacklisted the supplier after quality checks flagged deficiencies in the paper used for printing.

The move comes amid concerns that disruptions in paper procurement could affect textbook production, especially during high demand under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.NCERT is responsible for publishing textbooks for CBSE schools and state boards, making the paper supply chain critical.The ministry's intervention indicates a desire for an independent review of NCERT's actions and their impact on the textbook supply chain.This probe is significant as it could affect the timely availability of textbooks for millions of students across the country.