50 lakh schoolkids in MP may not get books on time

Fifty lakh students across the state may not get their textbooks on time as the Madhya Pradesh Text Book Corporation is yet to start publications for the current academic session.

The corporation says the delay is because they have not got the syllabus from the Rajya Shiksha Kendra (RSK).

In January, the Rajya Shiksha Kendra collaborated with the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) to provide textbooks to the classes that are based on non-board pattern.

Hence, 55 textbooks for Classes 3, 4, 6, 9 and 11 were to be procured from the NCERT, but the state government denied this proposal. And this delayed the entire process of printing by five months.

The RSK has now decided to keep the earlier syllabus, instead of NCERT books.

Sources said if the books are not published and distributed by June 15 to depots, then students will have a tough time in studying subjects considered difficult such as mathematics, science and environmental studies.

Madhya Pradesh Textbook Corporation president Rai Singh Sendhav said it is difficult for us too to make arrangements for publishing of 55 textbooks in such a huge quantity and in short time.

“We are trying our best to publish books in time. According to rules we have to be informed at least a year before if any major changes are to be made,” Sendhav said.

Madhya Pradesh Shikshak Congress Ashutosh Pandey secretary said people at the book selection committee are not subject experts.

“After a long time students were to get a better syllabi but the RSK committee did not take the decision on time,” Pandey said.