New Delhi: Amid allegations of delays and uneven supply of textbooks in schools, Delhi govt said the second part of mathematics and social science books for classes VII and VIII was held up because National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) did not send the manuscripts or soft copies for those volumes in April, when the first volumes came.“NCERT has revised some textbooks for classes VI, VII, VIII and IX. The mathematics and social science textbooks required for the first part of the academic session were supplied to schools. However, there has been a delay in the availability of textbooks for the second part of the session from NCERT,” said education minister Ashish Sood.Besides talking to NCERT to procure these books, “schools have also been asked to purchase textbooks that are already available in the market, using the funds at their disposal”, said Sood. “Schools generally have around Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh available, which can also be utilised for this purpose,” he added.Meanwhile, Delhi Bureau of Text Books (DBTB) has denied allegations of delayed and uneven textbook supply in Delhi govt schools, maintaining that most textbooks for classes I to VIII were distributed during the summer vacation. The bureau said additional textbooks had also been supplied to schools wherever required.DBTB attributed the delay in supplying Volume II mathematics and social science textbooks for classes VII and VIII to NCERT, stating that the soft copies and print-ready files of the prescribed textbooks were not provided by it on time.The bureau said it was dependent on NCERT for the timely availability of approved textbook content and could not independently reproduce or print NCERT textbooks without authorised material.Acknowledging the delay in the availability of second-term textbooks, DBTB said it was making efforts to procure the books directly from NCERT. With the academic session underway, the competent authority has permitted heads of govt schools to buy Volume II mathematics and social science textbooks for classes VII-VIII either through school management committee (SMC) funds, previously known as Vidyalaya Kalyan Samiti funds, or through direct market purchases based on actual enrolment and requirements, it added.The bureau stated that heads of Delhi govt schools receive Rs 5-7 lakh annually under SMC funds to meet school-related expenditure. Pointing out that NCERT textbooks cost Rs 65 each, it said schools had been allowed to get books directly to ensure that the textbooks were available without further disruption to the academic schedule.Earlier, educators had alleged delays in first-term supplies, too, while activists warned that school-level purchases could strain funds, delay reimbursements and risk counterfeit books. Sood, however, disputed claims that the academic year was nearly over. “The second term has only just begun,” he said.
