The dream plan of the State Education Minister Arvind Pandey to compulsorily implement books of National Council of Research and Training (NCERT) books in all the government and CBSE board Gchools of the state is getting shattered by the apathy of the officials. Struggling to provide cheap NCERT books in the schools, the education department officers have received a dressing down from the enraged minister in course of a review meeting of the department he chaired at the state secretariat on Monday.
The temper of the Pandey flared up in course of the meeting when the officials came up with excuses for not providing the books to the students.
The Minister reportedly got so much annoyed that he immediately called up the Chief Secretary (CS) and asked him to take action against the officials.
later, talking to the media persons, the minister vowed that the NCERT books would be provided in the all the schools when they reopen in July. He accepted the officials of the department are not prepared to implement the ambitious plan of the government to provide cheap and qualitatively best NCERT books. The minister said that he would not allow red-tapism in the department to hamstring scheme and those found responsible for delay in printing and distribution of NCERT books would be punished.
To implement NERT books in all schools of the state barring those affiliated to ICSE board is one of the much hyped promises of the Education Minister. Some of the private schools contested the obligation of the NCERT books in the High Court but it too ruled in the favour of the State Government. The parents also supported the order as it reduced burden on their pocket.
To implement the order the state needed more than 90 lakh NCERT books from classes I to IX. The state council of education research and Training (SCERT) was entrusted with the task of printing books.
It managed to supply about 30 lakh books and additional 5 lakh books were provided by the union government. To meet the huge shortfall of about 55 lakh books, the education department floated short term tenders but the private publishers showed little interest in them.
It is learnt that the publishers are not very keen to print the books due to less profit margins. The department is now faced with a situation where the schools would reopen after summer vacations without required number of text books.