Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Says New NCERT Textbooks For Classes 9-12 To Be Ready by 2026-27

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) plans to lower the cost of textbooks for certain classes starting from the next academic year, according to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He announced that NCERT, which currently prints five crore textbooks annually, aims to increase this capacity to 15 crore by the following year.

Pradhan assured that despite the increase in textbook production, prices will not rise for any class. This decision aims to prevent additional financial strain on parents. "Since the volume of printing of books is going to be high, the prices of textbooks for some classes will be reduced. However, the price will not be increased for any class to ensure there is no financial burden on parents," he stated.

Updated Textbooks by 2026

The minister also revealed that updated textbooks aligned with the new curriculum for classes 9 to 12 will be available from the 2026-27 academic session. The revision process follows the guidelines of the new National Curriculum Framework (NCF). "The process is on and textbooks for classes 9-12 will be ready by the 2026-27 academic session," he confirmed.

Addressing previous concerns about textbook demand and supply, Pradhan noted that these issues would be resolved with increased production. "In the next academic year, NCERT will publish 15 crore quality and affordable books. Currently, it publishes nearly 5 crore textbooks. Earlier, there have been concerns about demand and supply issues about the textbooks, however, that will be addressed now," he explained.

This initiative reflects a significant step towards making education more accessible and affordable across India. By increasing textbook availability and reducing costs, NCERT aims to support students and families nationwide.