NEW DELHI: With the new academic year commencing in June in some parts of South India, the absence of physical school textbooks, particularly for Class 9 students, has become a bone of contention during the last fortnight.
The National Council for Educational Research and Technology (NCERT) has finally conceded that localised gaps may exist due to the rollout of new, upgraded books this year.
Despite repeatedly asking about textbook shortages in the past, NCERT has always claimed there was no issue with the supply of textbooks.
An official release on Tuesday said the NCERT is ensuring adequate supply of its new textbooks through its vendor network and own sales counters across different regions, NCERT’s online sales portal (ncertbooks.ncert.gov.in), various e-commerce platforms, and its newly established Strategic Distribution Centres in collaboration with the Central Warehousing Corporation.
Due to the transition to a new curriculum, temporary localised gaps in supply may occasionally arise, it said.
“However, NCERT is closely monitoring the situation and continuously augmenting supplies to ensure availability across the country,” the release said.
A new curriculum based on the National Education Policy 2020 has been rolled out. And, based on it, books for different stages are being published in a graded manner.
“This year, more than 90 lakh Grade 9 textbooks of nine subjects have been published and made available throughout the country, except for Social Science, which is almost print-ready and will be out very soon,” it said.
The Class 8 Social Science book is being revised with the controversial chapter on judiciary redone completely.
“It has been sent for printing and will be out soon,” a source said.