The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) has distributed 13.92 lakh textbooks to 91 educational zones across the Kashmir Valley for students of Class 1 to 8 enrolled in government schools.
A senior JKBOSE official told Rising Kashmir that the Board had received a total demand of 18 lakh textbooks from educational zones in the division. “The distribution of free textbooks to government schools began on November 17. So far, we have provided 13.92 lakh textbooks to all educational zones in the Valley,” the official said.
He said that the textbooks are first supplied to the education zones, where these textbooks will be dispatched to all the government schools. Teachers will then distribute them among students from Classes 1 to 8.
“The students studying in government schools do not have to pay anything for these books. The government bears the full cost. For Classes 1 and 2, funds are released to the Chief Education Officers (CEOs) at the district level, while for Classes 3 to 8, the textbooks are funded under the Samagra Shiksha scheme,” the official said
He said that students of Classes 9 and 10 in government schools are required to purchase JKBOSE textbooks from the market at rates fixed by the Board, as these classes are not covered under the free textbook scheme.
The official further said that the remaining stock of government textbooks will also be supplied shortly, ensuring timely availability in all zones. “We are continuously distributing the pending supplies to ensure no school faces a shortage,” he said.
He confirmed that JKBOSE has provided textbook supplies to registered private booksellers to facilitate students of private schools. These students can purchase books from the market at JKBOSE-approved rates.
With the bulk of the distribution completed, the Board aims to ensure that all students across the Kashmir Valley receive their textbooks well before the new academic session gains momentum.
