Minister V Sivankutty Urges Centre to Address Textbook Shortage in Kendriya Vidyalayas

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty has called for urgent intervention by the Union Government to address the ongoing shortage of textbooks in Kendriya Vidyalayas across the state.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Sivankutty expressed serious concern over the fact that students in Classes 5 and 8, particularly in PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalayas, are still without essential textbooks, four months after the academic year began on April 1. Despite the passage of an entire term, teachers have only been supplied with online study materials, leaving students without the basic resources needed to prepare for their first quarterly examinations.

The minister criticised the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), the agency responsible for distributing the textbooks, accusing it of gross negligence. He warned that the absence of textbooks could severely affect students’ academic performance.

Drawing a contrast with the state’s public school system, Sivankutty pointed out that textbooks were distributed in Kerala’s government schools well before the academic year started. He further alleged that the current policy shift, towards selling textbooks through online platforms and private bookshops rather than supplying them directly to schools, would force parents to purchase them at inflated prices.

Sivankutty urged the Union Government to act swiftly to ensure the availability of textbooks in Kendriya Vidyalayas, emphasising that the delay was harming students’ education and future.