Textbook trauma?

Cuttack, March 31: Students of Classes VIII, IX and X in Orissa will have to wait for at least one to three months before they would receive new textbooks.

Academic sessions in the high schools are set to start in the next few days.

Satyakam Mishra, the president of Board of Secondary Education (BSE), said printing of approved sets of textbooks and their distribution would be done from end of April to June.

Mishra said the delay was caused owing to legal dispute over a government policy decision on procurement of paper and printing of the textbooks prescribed by the board for Classes VIII, IX and X students.

BSE has to procure paper — a process normally completed by January — and print textbooks to meet the requirements of around 3 lakh students in each of Class VIII, IX and X at a cost of nearly Rs 7.5 crore.

Mishra added they had in stock nearly 50 per cent of Class VIII textbooks and just about 30 per cent of Class IX and X textbooks.

Orissa Printers & Binders Federation had, official sources said, challenged in court the school and mass education department’s decision to open up printing of textbooks for national competition vis-à-vis enhancement in deposit amount and other securities therein. Orissa High Court had issued a stay order on it on February 18.

Mishra said alternate routes for procurement of paper and printing of textbooks were being explored.