Students attending government-run primary schools in Uttar Pradesh may experience a delay in receiving National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) books for English, Hindi, and mathematics. These books are set to be introduced for the first time in the curriculum of classes 1 and 2 across 1.14 lakh government-run primary schools under the UP Basic Education Council.
While books for classes 3 to 8 are expected to be available on time for the upcoming academic session of 2024-25 starting on April 1, there is uncertainty regarding the timeline for the introduction of new books for classes 1 and 2, according to officials from the state basic education department.
Collaborating with NCERT, experts from the State Institute of Education (SIE) and the English Language Teaching Institute (ELTI), both units of State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), UP, have developed books for all three subjects. However, these books are yet to receive official approval.
Once approval is granted by the UP Basic Education Department, tenders for these books will be issued, followed by the publication process. Officials suggest that it may take until the end of April or May 2024 for the books to be available to students after the purchase order is issued.
In the interim, under the guidance of Director-General, School Education, UP, Kanchan Verma, Basic Shiksha Adhikaris (BSAs) have issued purchase orders to publishers for books from classes 3 to 8, adhering to the established norms by January 15.
Books for classes 3 to 8 are expected to be supplied to districts within 90 days from January 10, ensuring availability by the start of the new academic session on April 1. However, it is evident that the supply of books and workbooks for classes 1 and 2 will take more time.
This year, textbooks are being procured for approximately 2 crore students in government-run primary and upper primary schools in the state based on the number of students registered on the designated Prerna portal. This streamlined approach aims to prevent wastage or inflated orders by ensuring accurate student details, including Aadhaar numbers, are available on the portal.
Praveen Kumar Tiwari, Basic Shiksha Adhikari, Prayagraj, stated that purchase orders for books and workbooks for classes 3 to 8 for the 2024-25 session have been issued. Students in these classes are expected to have the new books at the start of the new session on April 1.