The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is racing to meet demand for new Class 9 textbooks after printing only 3 million copies—about 20% of its 15 million target—nearly a month into the 2026–27 academic session.Officials said printing has been accelerated to achieve the target by May 31. The new textbooks are aligned with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023 and the National Education Policy 2020. So far, books for subjects including Hindi, English, science, mathematics, and vocational education have been released, while social science titles are still pending.Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reviewed the situation and directed officials to strengthen supply chains, increase printing capacity, and ensure timely last-mile delivery. As an interim solution, students can access digital textbooks through the ePathshala platform.Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought clarification from authorities, including th Central Board of Secondary Education, over concerns that private schools are prescribing expensive books from private publishers.Parents have raised complaints about rising costs, with NCERT textbooks typically priced between ₹200 and ₹700, while private publisher bundles can range from ₹3,000 to ₹10,000. The delay in availability of NCERT books has further intensified these concerns among families.
