Because national Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) did not send the manuscripts or soft copies for those volumes in April, when the first volumes came, new Delhi: Amid allegations of delays and uneven supply of textbooks in schools, Delhi govt said the second part of mathematics and social science books for classes VII and VIII was held up.
The bureau stated that heads of Delhi govt schools receive Rs 5-7 lakh annually under SMC funds to meet school-related expenditure. Pointing out that NCERT textbooks cost Rs 65 each, it said schools had been allowed to get books directly to ensure that the textbooks were available without further disruption to the academic schedule.
Acknowledging the delay in the availability of second-term textbooks, DBTB said it was making efforts to procure the books directly from NCERT. “The second term has only just begun,” he said. Sood, however, disputed claims that the academic year was nearly over.
With the academic session underway, the competent authority has permitted heads of govt schools to buy Volume II mathematics and social science textbooks for classes VII-VIII either through school management committee (SMC) funds, previously known as Vidyalaya Kalyan Samiti funds, or through direct market purchases based on actual enrolment and requirements, it added. Earlier, educators had alleged delays in first-term supplies, too, while activists warned that school-level purchases could strain funds, delay reimbursements and risk counterfeit books.