Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan orders probe into delay by NCERT in case against vendor

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has initiated a probe into officials at the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) following their failure to appear before the Delhi High Court. The officials were expected to defend the council's decision to blacklist a paper supplier for production delays.

Ministry officials stated that Pradhan's intervention reflects a "zero-tolerance approach towards administrative and legal lapses." The NCERT's administrative failure allowed the Pune-based company, Bafna Global Venture Private Limited, to secure interim relief from the court. The company is challenging its termination and a two-year ban from NCERT procurements.

The investigation will examine how Bafna Global Venture was awarded the contract for Maplitho paper supply for the 2026-27 academic year, despite allegedly not meeting tender conditions. It will also scrutinize the company's failure to meet the agreed supply schedule and the absence of an NCERT representative at the June 24 court hearing.

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reinforcement of zero-tolerance approach towards administrative and legal lapses.

Bafna Global Venture had approached the Delhi High Court after NCERT terminated its contract on June 22. The company argued that production delays were caused by disruptions in the supply of hydrogen peroxide, a key bleaching agent, linked to the US-Iran conflict. They contended that blacklisting was inappropriate for a bona fide contractual disagreement.

Justice Mini Pushkarna noted the absence of an NCERT representative despite advance notice. The court restrained NCERT from taking coercive action against the company or invoking its ₹6.09 crore bank guarantee until the next hearing on July 20. The minister has directed strict action against the officers responsible for the lapse.

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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.