Karnataka: No new textbooks for students in 2017-18, says Tanveer Sait

Belagavi: New textbooks for first to tenth standard students will not be introduced from the 2017-18 academic year, said Primary and Secondary Education Minister Tanveer Sait.

Replying to a question in the Legislative Council on Friday, he said that 26 committees headed by noted Kannada litterateur, Mr Baragur Ramachandrappa have been constituted to suggest new textbooks from first to tenth standard. So far, the government had not received any interim report from the chairman of the Textbooks Committee, Mr Ramachandrappa.

In the meantime, the Union government has proposed a common syllabus for students across the country. The minister said that the new textbooks were being re-designed with a view to prepare students of the state syllabus to prepare for competative examinations like CET and NEET.

Meanwhile, Mr Baragur had promised to submit the final report of his committee to the government on December 8 or 9 after completion of the Kannada Sammelana to be held in Raichur from December 2, as the litterateur has been chosen to preside over the Kannada jamboree.

Taking all these factors into consideration, the government will not introduce new textbooks from the next academic year and the existing books would continue till the introduction of new textbooks.

Mr Sait also clarified that private educational institutions which admits students belonging to economically weaker sections under the Right to Education Act, should not force parents to buy the books and uniforms from particular shops. An advisory had been issued to heads of all institutions in this regard. As per the Act, education is free in such schools but they need not distribute books and stationary free of cost. The schools should not distinguish between students who got admission under the RTE Act and other students while providing facilities available in places of learning, he added.