Students of Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) in Kerala are facing a tough start to their academic year as NCERT textbooks have not yet been made available. This delay has sparked strong criticism from Kerala’s General Education Minister V. Sivankutty, who said the situation is “unacceptable” and puts students at a major disadvantage. He pointed fingers at the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), accusing it of negligence in ensuring timely distribution of textbooks across the country, especially in central schools like KVs.
I chose to write about this topic because textbook delays in the education system are not just a logistical issue—they directly impact students’ learning and confidence. As someone who has personally witnessed how textbook availability can shape the classroom experience, I believe this issue deserves national attention. Kendriya Vidyalayas cater to a wide and diverse student base, including children of government employees, defence personnel, and economically weaker sections. When textbooks are delayed, students lose valuable weeks of structured learning. Moreover, such gaps force teachers to rely on temporary resources or rush through the syllabus later. This is why it’s important to understand what went wrong and what should be done to fix it.
NCERT Textbook Delay: What Happened?
The academic year has already begun, but many Kendriya Vidyalaya students in Kerala are yet to receive their NCERT textbooks. This delay has caused widespread concern among parents and teachers. According to reports, several schools have had to begin classes without textbooks for core subjects like Science, Mathematics, and Social Studies.
The Kerala Education Minister criticised NCERT for its inability to manage distribution properly. He said that when the academic calendar is fixed and predictable, there’s no excuse for such delays, especially when the same problem happened in previous years too.
Impact on Students and Teachers
The biggest sufferers of this delay are the students. Without textbooks:
- Teachers are unable to follow a structured lesson plan
- Students miss out on reading and reference material at home
- Exam preparation becomes difficult as chapters are delayed
- Parents are forced to search for PDFs or buy second-hand books
For teachers, the absence of textbooks disrupts classroom activities and puts extra pressure on them to create makeshift notes and worksheets. This affects the overall teaching quality.
Minister’s Concerns and Demands
Minister Sivankutty said that education is not just a State matter but a national responsibility. He raised the concern that this delay violates students’ Right to Education and called for accountability from the NCERT and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS).
He also demanded that:
- NCERT must ensure that books reach all KVs across the country before the academic year starts
- Central government should investigate the repeated delays
- Temporary digital copies must be made available to all students until physical copies arrive
Why NCERT and KVS Must Act Fast
Kendriya Vidyalayas are known for their quality education and uniform curriculum across India. They serve around 14 lakh students in over 1,200 schools. When textbooks don’t arrive on time, it disrupts this uniformity.
Moreover, this is not the first time such delays have happened. Every year, similar complaints are raised from different parts of the country. There needs to be a permanent solution—either through decentralised printing or stronger logistics planning.
