Following widespread complaints from parents, the UT education department has directed all schools to ensure that parents are free to buy books, stationery and uniforms from any shop as per their choice.
A letter by the UT district education officer (DEO) on Monday said that when the Common Admission Schedule was released in November 2021, schools were asked to display a list of books, uniforms and other articles.
Yet, it had been observed that some schools had asked parents to buy books or uniforms from certain shops. The UT administration has taken a serious view of this practice, the DEO observed in the letter.
The letter said that while students were free to purchase these items from wherever convenient, it was seen that schools prescribed books in such a way that only one bookstore in the city carried them. The UT education department had earlier also instructed private schools to only prescribe NCERT books, but this practice was also not being followed.
The department so far hasn’t taken any action against the booksellers or schools.
{{/usCountry}}The department so far hasn’t taken any action against the booksellers or schools.
{{/usCountry}}Taxmen inspect book shops
The excise and taxation department carried out inspections at book and stationery shops in the city on Monday.
A total of 10 show-cause notices were issued to the shops, including Popular Book Depot, Happy Book Depot and Modern Book Store in Sector 22; Manchanda Mixed Bag, Surinder Stationers and Krishna Traders in Sector 19; Baba Garments and Naveen Hoisery in Manimajra; Ramesh Book Store in Sector 23; and Paul Book Depot in Sector 46.
Excise and taxation officers Shikha Kochhar, Ashish Sharma, Nirpjit Kaur and Amanpreet Singh conducted the inspections.