Three months into session, CBSE students still don't have books
Despite taking measures to improve things, it looks like CBSE continues to be bogged down by a decades-old problem: unavailability of textbooks. More than three months after the new session started, many students across India, including Hyderabad, have complained books are not yet available in their school or the market. The situation is far from NCERT's promised home-delivery of books.
Students, especially in higher classes, left helpless
The problem seems to be particularly worse for those in higher classes, especially Arts and Commerce streams, students and parents in Hyderabad said. Like Bhaskar M, whose son is in Class-11, many reached out to the school authorities, but "the only answer I get is that it's unavailable." Many schools are also apparently refusing to issue names of alternative books, forcing students to wait helplessly.
Those who have stocks are charging students excessively
Those schools which have stocks are finding ways to loot parents, they have alleged. "I was surprised to see the difference in prices charged by the school and retailers," Ratna P, who has children in Class-9 and 10, told TOI, adding schools are charging "way over the market price." Many parents backed Ratna's claims, adding schools were selling color pencils, uniforms etc at higher prices too.
NCERT had launched a portal to tackle this problem
In February, the Delhi HC quashed a CBSE circular, allowing schools to sell books (NCERT/non-NCERT), uniforms and stationary at shops in their premises. It had one condition: schools can't force parents to buy from their shop. In April, there was more good news: NCERT said it will now deliver schoolbooks to buyers' houses for free, if they buy it online from the Council's portal.
Try your luck here if you are looking for books
To buy textbooks, you can visit NCERT's official portal at www.ncertbooks.ncert.gov.in. Schools, empanelled booksellers, state governments and students can order books directly. "We wanted to address the apprehensions regarding unavailability of NCERT textbooks," School Education Secretary Anil Swarup had said while launching it last August.
