Chandigarh: Schools told to prescribe only widely available books

Anticipating crowding outside Sector 19 and 22 bookstores ahead of the new academic session, UT education department has directed schools to only recommend books that are widely available in the city’s bookshops.
While a committee was also formed to look into the matter last year, a member of the committee, on the condition of anonymity, said that in a meeting held in February, schools were directed to recommend books that are available in at least four bookstores of the city. Schools have also been asked to stagger the book list, so that books that will be required later during the academic session don’t have to be purchased at the beginning. The final report submitted by the committee, however, was not available.
UT director school education Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar said strict action will be taken against the schools violating the directions.
While complaints have been made in the past, the perpetrators, whether schools or bookstores, get away with just a slap on the wrist. The UT excise and taxation department also conducts inspections to check the malpractice and had issued 10 show-cause notices in 2022. But the severity of the disciplinary action taken remains unclear.
As per the existing guidelines, schools have to mandatorily display a class-wise list of books and school uniform on their website before the beginning of the new session and the parents can purchase these from any store.
Parents disappointed with oral directions
While the UT education department had formed the sub committee in September 2023, parents lamented that rather than issuing directions based on the committee’s report, the department has just issued oral instructions. President of the Chandigarh Parents Association, Nitin Goyal, said, “Many, including myself, had given our written suggestions for improving the system, but they have not been considered and no written order has been sent. There is an open nexus between schools, bookstores and even some education department officials and nothing is being done to curtail this.”
Situation calm at bookstores as of now
The parents have already started purchasing books for the new session and no rush was witnessed at the city bookshops.
A prominent bookstore owner in Sector 19, who wished to remain anonymous, said that NCERT books are available at all bookstores and the book sets for the new session will remain same as there was no update in the syllabus.
The owner alleged that long queues were seen in 2022 as the UT education department had not given any prior notice for the transition to offline mode of schooling.