The All Uttarakhand Parents Association (AUPA) has requested the Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani to ensure that the recent Central Board of Secondary School (CBSE) circular making National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) books compulsory for all schools affiliated to it is followed in letter and spirit.

The CBSE had issued a circular on April 12, in which it had directed all the schools to use the books of NCERT. The circular had categorically stated that if the NCERT books are not available then the schools concerned should download these books from the website of NCERT.

The President of AUPA, Niraj Singhal said that most of the schools of state capital are not following the circular of the NCERT. He said that the circular is in public interest but there is no effort on part of the CBSE to create awareness among the people and the board has not made it mandatory for all the States.

Singhal said that the association has asked the Union HRD minister to take cognizance of the issue and ensure that all schools prescribe books of NCERT only. He said that many private school owners in collusion with some publishing houses prescribe the books which are not required; these books apart from being costly are not designed scientifically. 

The parents association is of the view that the text books of NCERT are best in content, print and paper quality but the private school owners do not prescribe them as they are cheap so they get not commission from the book sellers on sale of these books.

It is a common knowledge that the NCERT books are very cheap but the shop owners do not want to sell them as they get only 10 percent commission from their sales. Another problem NCERT books is about their availability. One of a book shop owner said that NCERT does not print the books in sufficient number.