NCERT textbooks have been supplied to 2,000 private schools affiliated with CBSE for the current academic year and more schools will be covered next year, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said today.
He was responding to a query in the Rajya Sabha by CPI-M leader K K Ragesh who demanded that the Centre should ensure that all Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools use National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) study materials compulsorily this year.
"Unfortunately, for these private schools, education has become a tool to loot students. It should be curbed. They have an unholy alliance with publishers and are making profit," Ragesh said while raising the issue during the Zero Hour.
The CPI-M leader said the private schools were finding ways not to implement the government decision and a majority of them were compelling parents and children to buy textbooks at higher rates.
Javadekar said the decision to make NCERT books compulsory for CBSE schools was taken after the government found private schools were charging more. Since it is the first year of implementation, the government took stock of how much NCERT was ready to supply.
"We appealed to all schools to register and give their intent. One good response is that 2000 schools have registered and we have supplied NCERT books in those 2,000 private school. Next year, we will grow further," Javadekar said.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)