NCERT textbooks to get cheaper next year as printing capacity triples

Increased demand drives NCERT to boost printing from 50 million to 150 million textbooks next year, ensuring affordable prices and no financial burden on parents, says education minister

NCERT textbooks for certain classes will cost less starting next year, as the National Council of Educational Research and Training ramps up its printing capacity to meet growing demand, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Tuesday. However, he did not specify which books would be affected.

 

Currently printing around 50 million textbooks annually, NCERT will increase its production capacity to 150 million books from the next academic year. This expansion aims to address previous concerns about textbook shortages.

 

“In the next academic year, NCERT will publish 15 crore (150 million) quality and affordable books. Since the volume of printing will increase, the prices of textbooks for some classes will be reduced. Importantly, no price hike will be implemented for any class to ensure there is no financial burden on parents,” Pradhan said.

 

New textbooks for classes 9–12 from 2026-27

The minister also shared updates regarding the implementation of the National Curriculum Framework, stating that textbooks for classes 9–12, based on the updated curriculum, will be available from the 2026-27 academic session.

 

“The process of updating textbooks as per the new NCF is underway, and books for senior classes will be ready by 2026-27,” Pradhan said.

 

Multilingual education initiatives

 

Highlighting the government’s efforts towards holistic and inclusive education, Pradhan emphasised significant progress in multilingual learning:

• Textbooks for classes 1 and 2 are now available in 23 Indian languages.
• The DIKSHA platform offers e-content in 126 Indian languages and seven foreign languages.
• A total of 104 primers in Indian languages have been released.

 

The minister also announced the launch of dedicated educational channels to promote regional and inclusive education:

• A Tamil language channel on July 29, 2024.
• The ULLAS channel for adult education on September 8, 2024.
• A channel for hearing-impaired learners featuring Indian Sign Language content under the PM e-Vidya initiative, launching on December 6, 2024.

 

Textbooks released so far

New textbooks for seven out of 15 grades have already been released, with books for four more grades planned for the next academic year.

 

Textbooks for arts, physical education, well-being (grades 3–8) and vocational education (grades 6–8) are also being developed.

 

The books are being prepared in all scheduled Indian languages and made accessible on digital platforms.

 

Education spending up 130 per cent in five years

Pradhan highlighted the government’s increasing investment in education, revealing that the per-child expenditure has grown by over 130 per cent, rising from Rs 10,780 in 2013-14 to Rs 25,043 in 2021-22.

 

“From improvements in school infrastructure and digital inclusion to empowering Nari Shakti and promoting Bharatiya languages, every initiative has been driven by a commitment to quality, equity, and holistic development,” the Union education minister said.