NCERT Textbooks to Cost less from 2025, New Books for Classes 9-12 by 2026: Dharmendra Pradhan

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced on December 17, 2024, that NCERT textbooks for some classes will be cheaper starting next year.

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), which currently prints 5 crore textbooks annually, is planning to increase its capacity to 15 crore books from the next academic year. The minister also revealed that updated textbooks for classes 9-12, aligned with the new curriculum, will be available by the 2026-27 academic session.

“In the upcoming academic year, NCERT will publish 15 crore affordable, high-quality textbooks, addressing past concerns about demand and supply issues,” Pradhan stated. “The increased production will enable a reduction in textbook prices for certain classes, while ensuring no price hikes for any class to avoid financial pressure on parents,” he added.

Pradhan further confirmed that the updating process for textbooks under the new National Curriculum Framework (NCF) is ongoing, with completion expected by 2026-27 for classes 9-12.