Chandigarh: New NCERT books for Classes 3 and 6 to roll out by April-end

With the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) revising syllabus of Classes 3 and 6, books for the session are not yet available even after the session has begun. Parents, however, don’t have to worry as the NCERT has written to the Central Board of Secondary Education and all the education secretaries, including UT’s, about this issue.
In a letter by NCERT director Dinesh Prasad Saklani, the council is publishing new textbooks in accordance with the National Curriculum for School Education, 2023. This year, NCERT will release new textbooks for Classes 3 and 6. The print version of Class 3 textbooks will be ready by the last week of April. On the other hand, Class 6 textbooks will be available by mid-May. To prepare Class 6 for the new curriculum, a course has already been uploaded to the NCERT portal.
All NCERT textbooks are available in digital format on the portal and PM eVidya and National Digital Library, free of cost.
NCERT has also released 1.21 crore copies of 2023-24 editions of books for Classes 1, 2 7, 8, 10 and 12. For Classes 4, 5, 9 and 11, 27.58 lakh books have been released. New order of another 1 crore books will be available for circulation by May 31. The books are expected to reach the city’s bookstores around the same time.
The update comes after parents had started crowding outside major bookstores in Sectors 19 and 22 to obtain books for the new session. The UT education department has taken cognisance of the matter and formed joint teams with the UT excise and taxation department to monitor the situation.
Nine booksellers and uniform sellers issued notices
To prevent the evasion of tax and ensure Goods and Services Tax (GST) compliance of issuing invoices to customers with due tax, UT excise and taxation department along with the education department jointly inspected various stores of the city. Show-cause notices to nine booksellers and uniform dealers were issued. Directions were also given to shopkeepers to comply with the issuance of invoices as per the GST act.
While the names and locations of the stores were not revealed, officials said that they have been asked to show their GST returns to the department. Strict action will be taken if any tax evasion is found, added the officials.
UT excise-taxation commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh said that book and uniform sellers had been advised by the department to issue bills with correct tax amount to all customers. He also said anyone who was not given a valid bill by any of the stores, the department must be informed at the earliest.