The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has formally requested action plans from the Union Ministry of Education, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and all state and union territory governments. This action follows numerous public complaints alleging private schools are disregarding government-subsidized textbooks. Instead, these schools reportedly force parents to purchase expensive books from private publishers, burdening families financially.
NHRC Cites Rights Violations
The NHRC initiated the investigation under itssuo motucognizance. The Commission stated that mandating expensive private books over standard NCERT/SCERT texts could violate the Right to Education (RTE) Act and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Both policies advocate for accessible and affordable education.
The NHRC highlighted specific policy breaches:
- RTE Act Violation: Section 29 of the RTE Act mandates that educational authorities like NCERT or SCERT determine syllabi and textbooks. Ignoring this creates an unauthorized, commercialized educational system.
- NEP 2020 Mandates: The NEP 2020 emphasizes equitable and inexpensive education. A set of NCERT books for Classes 1-8 costs between ₹200 and ₹700. The same set from private publishers can range from ₹3,000 to ₹10,000.
- National School Bag Policy, 2020: The inclusion of reference books, workbooks, and custom diaries by private schools adds significant weight to children's school bags, contrary to policy recommendations.
Demand for Action Taken Report
Authorities have been given a deadline to submit a detailed report. The NHRC seeks information on the regulatory mechanisms in place to control textbook prices. It also wants to know the measures planned to penalize schools that break these rules.
The NHRC is investigating potential commercialization of textbook pricing. This practice places a substantial financial strain on parents. The Commission emphasized that a breach of the Right to Education Act and NEP 2020 might be occurring.
Students and parents seeking to report violations or find official information can visit the NHRC website at nhrc.nic.in and the NCERT website at ncert.nic.in .
