Delay in NCERT Books Disrupts Studies of Thousands of Students in Chandigarh

A major academic disruption has emerged in Chandigarh as both government and private schools continue to face a shortage of textbooks at the start of the new academic session. Following changes in the syllabus under the new education policy, new textbooks published by NCERT have not reached schools on time. Despite the education department making a payment of approximately ₹4.75 crore, it has been unable to supply books to students. As a result, around 35,000 students of Classes 9, 10, and 12 have been significantly affected and are currently studying without textbooks. In as many as 117 government schools across the city, students in these classes have yet to receive their books. Teachers in government institutions are now relying on downloaded PDFs and self-prepared notes to continue teaching. The administration had announced free distribution of textbooks for Classes 9 to 12 this semester, but even after the session has begun, the books have not been delivered. Earlier, students used to purchase textbooks from the market. However, this year’s decision to provide free books has made the system entirely dependent on the education department, and the delay has led to the current crisis. The shortage is not limited to government schools, as private schools are also struggling due to the unavailability of complete sets of books for the revised syllabus in the market. While some students have managed to buy available titles, studies in several subjects remain affected. To manage the situation, the education department has instructed schools to provide photocopies of the first four chapters to students. Teachers are also using material downloaded from the NCERT website, and in many cases, are compelled to prepare their own notes, which is impacting the quality of education. Officials said that the decision to revise the syllabus was taken late, during December and January, which delayed the printing process of textbooks. Consequently, timely supply could not be ensured. Deputy District Education Officer Devender Kumar stated that the department has already placed orders and completed payments on time. He added that continuous follow-up is being carried out and expressed hope that the textbooks will reach all schools within the next 10 to 15 days.