E-Paper
Parents flag high costs of books prescribed by private CBSE schools
Parents of CBSE students express concerns over high textbook costs for Classes 1-8, forced to buy pricey private bundles despite NCERT alternatives.
Concerns over the rising cost of textbooks in CBSE-affiliated private schools for the 2026–27 academic session have resurfaced, with parents alleging they are being compelled to purchase expensive book sets from select vendors, often revised annually, significantly adding to their financial burden.
The issue highlights a regulatory grey area, as the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) mandates the use of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks for Classes 9-12 but only “strongly” advises their adoption for Classes 1-8. A circular issued in August 2024 allows schools to use supplementary materials based on their requirements. While CBSE officials did not respond to queries, educationist MK Sridhar, who drafted the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, said private schools are permitted to use textbooks from different publishers up to Class 8 “to avoid standardisation and to encourage creativity and innovation in textbooks”.
Private institutions dominate the CBSE ecosystem, accounting for nearly three-fourths of affiliated schools, with 23,090 out of 30,415 falling in this category, according to official data. Although CBSE has not issued any fresh directive on textbook usage since August 2024, several states, including Delhi, Bihar, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, have recently directed schools not to compel parents to purchase books or uniforms from specific vendors. Uttar Pradesh has also initiated inspections and organised book fairs to curb the sale of overpriced textbooks.
The price gap between NCERT and private publisher books remains stark. A full NCERT set for Classes 1 to 8 typically costs between ₹200 and ₹700, depending on the class, whereas private publisher bundles, often including workbooks, supplementary readers and stationery, range from ₹3,000 to ₹10,000.
Parents say they are left with little choice but to comply with prescribed lists that are frequently tied to authorised vendors and bundled purchases. Aditya Kaushik, whose daughter studies in Class 1 at a private school in Haryana’s Karnal, said he spent ₹3,500 on a book set. “Schools restrict purchases to a handful of authorised vendors,” he alleged, adding that the cost had increased by ₹800 compared to UKG.
Shyam Mishra, a parent from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, said he spent ₹8,000 on textbooks for his son in Class 7 and ₹10,000 for his daughter in Class 8 in the same school. “It would have cost around ₹3,000 if the school was using NCERT textbooks only,” he said.
Complaints have also proliferated on social media, with parents alleging that schools frequently change textbook editions each year, limiting reuse and increasing recurring expenses.
In contrast, schools run by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) — autonomous organisations under the Union education ministry — follow NCERT textbooks across all classes. Teachers in these institutions maintain that NCERT books are sufficient for foundational learning.
“NCERT textbooks are written by highly qualified academics who understand students’ needs. They are more than enough because they ensure that students learn core concepts in the classroom and through activities outside the classroom. NCERT textbooks are in continuity and don’t change every year and this helps teachers and students to grasp concepts,” said a teacher from a Kendriya Vidyalaya.
A teacher from the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) said, “NCERT textbooks provide whatever is needed for knowledge of students. There is no better alternative… Private schools use private textbooks only for their branding and profits only.”
Private school representatives, however, defended their choice of study materials, citing flexibility in pedagogy and the need for activity-based learning.
Dr Alka Kapur, principal of Modern Public School in Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh, said schools use a mix of resources, including private publishers’ textbooks, to support conceptual clarity in early grades. “The objective is to deliver concepts that could easily be understood by young learners and make learning both meaningful and enjoyable,” she said, adding that private schools remain aligned with broader national curriculum frameworks.
Aditi Misra, director of Delhi Public School (DPS) and Dharav High School, Gurugram, said private publishers’ books for Classes 1-5 often offer more activities and visual content. She noted that her school uses NCERT textbooks for Classes 6 to 12. “Before selecting a school, many parents complete their homework… They should refrain from selecting a particular school if they find that its programme does not align with their goals. Schools like ours have recommended 4-5 fiction books to help youngsters in all levels re-establish their reading habits,” Misra said.
Former CBSE chairperson Ashok Ganguly said making NCERT textbooks mandatory for all classes may not be practical given the scale and diversity of the system. “It is neither possible nor feasible for a single organisation to ensure availability of books across the country in time,” he said, adding that flexibility is necessary to avoid disruption of academic sessions.
He added that if schools change books frequently, “punitive action” should be considered, while acknowledging concerns over rising costs and the commercialisation of education.
Educationist Sridhar suggested that CBSE should require schools to retain the same publishers for a fixed period of two to three years. “Then, the schools will not change the textbooks frequently and continuity can be maintained and students of senior classes can pass on old books to junior classes,” he said.
