NEW DELHI: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) announced on Monday a 20 per cent reduction in textbook prices for classes 9 to 12, effective from the upcoming academic year.
Making the announcement, NCERT Director, Dinesh Prasad Saklani, said, “This is the first time that the price of textbooks has been significantly reduced.”
He was speaking at the occasion of ‘Bhumi Pujan’ for the construction of an auditorium at NCERT Headquarters in Delhi. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan performed the pooja.
Saklani said this year, the NCERT has brought in a lot of efficiency in paper procurement and also onboarded printers with the latest printing machines. “NCERT has decided to pass on this benefit to the students of the country,” he said, adding that all textbooks of classes 9 to 12 for the next academic year will be retailed by the NCERT at a 20 per cent lower price than the existing price.
“This is unprecedented in the history of NCERT,” he added.
The textbooks for classes 1 to 8 will continue to be retailed at Rs 65 per copy, he added.
NCERT prints around four to five crore textbooks in around 300 titles. It has recently expanded its reach through partnerships with e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, thus facilitating nationwide access to genuine textbooks.
At the occasion, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the NCERT and Flipkart to widen the reach of NCERT textbooks in tier 2 and tier 3 cities.
The minister said the signing of the MoU between NCERT and Flipkart will enhance the availability of NCERT textbooks, delivering them to learners’ doorsteps across the length and breadth of the country.
Pradhan, who also released NISTHA Integrated Teacher Training Modules, NISHTHA-ET, Kaushal and Edu-Leader, further emphasized that initiatives like the NISHTHA teachers' training modules and the experiential learning centre by Google India will strengthen the capacities of teachers and empower both educators and students.
He said that NCERT is Bharat’s pride and a cornerstone of the nation’s education system and described it as not just an institution but a collective academic repository for the country.
Pradhan also noted that as NCERT transitions into a research university, it must aspire to become a melting pot, integrating content development, syllabus design, pedagogical approaches, innovative educational practices, teacher capacity building, and technology infusion under one roof.
Expressing his confidence in NCERT, the minister encouraged the institution to adopt and assimilate innovative and best educational practices from across the country to develop textbooks enriched with locally driven content.
He underlined NCERT’s responsibility to prepare Bharat’s new generation - and those in other emerging economies - for 21st-century education and learning.
Aimed at democratising access to education and complementing the government of India’s mission to promote inclusive learning opportunities nationwide, the collaboration with Flipkart will facilitate the sale and distribution of NCERT publications through the online marketplace of Flipkart, ensuring greater accessibility through authorized sellers designated by NCERT, according to a statement by the education ministry.
Flipkart will ensure wider reach by making NCERT publications accessible to students and parents across urban and rural India, enabling last-mile connectivity through its platform. Additionally, Flipkart and NCERT will work together to guarantee the availability of authentic, high-quality content.
Pradhan also inaugurated the Google Learning Centre, which will facilitate the capacity building of teachers and educators on digital tools including AI. This state-of-the-art lab has been created for 40 people with adequate computers and networking facilities.
Along with this, 200 YouTube channels have been created for simulcast of PMeVIDYA DTH TV Channels.
