NCERT announces 20% reduction in textbook prices for Classes 9-12

New Delhi, Dec 16: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) announced on Monday that it will reduce the prices of textbooks for classes 9 to 12 by 20 percent, starting from the next academic year.

This decision was revealed by NCERT Director, Dinesh Prasad Saklani, during an event. He noted that this marks the first time NCERT has made such a significant reduction in textbook prices.

Saklani explained that the price cut is the result of increased efficiency in paper procurement and the use of modern printing technologies. "This year, NCERT has enhanced its procurement processes and partnered with printers using state-of-the-art machines. As a result, we are able to pass on these savings to students," he stated.

He further added, "All textbooks for grades 9-12 for the upcoming academic year will be sold at a 20 percent lower price than the current rates. This is a historic move for NCERT."

Textbooks for grades 1-8 will remain priced at Rs 65 per copy, as before.

The announcement was made during the Bhumi Pujan ceremony for the construction of a new auditorium at the NCERT Headquarters, which was attended by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. During the event, NCERT also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Flipkart to increase the distribution of NCERT textbooks.

NCERT prints approximately 4-5 crore textbooks annually across 300 different titles. The organization has recently expanded its outreach through collaborations with e-commerce platforms like Amazon, making genuine textbooks more accessible nationwide.

(With agency inputs)