Delhi government schools have been told to directly purchase second-term mathematics and social science textbooks for Classes VII and VIII after continuing delays in the supply of books for the 2026-27 academic session, shifting procurement responsibility to school heads and their budgets.
The Delhi Bureau of Text Books issued a circular on November 9 to deputy directors of education across zones 1 to 29. It covers Volume II textbooks in English, Hindi and Urdu. School heads have been instructed to buy the books “as per their actual requirement” and distribute them to students.
The circular permits schools to use Vidyalaya Kalyan Samiti funds for the purchases. Schools may also buy the books upfront and submit bills for reimbursement under the prescribed procedure. The bureau said these arrangements were intended to ensure the “timely procurement and distribution of the same to the students”.
However, the circular does not specify a deadline for completing the purchases or handing the books to students. An education department official said the step was taken to ease the difficulties caused by the delays and ensure that every child received textbooks.
The latest direction follows months of complaints from teachers and school staff about uneven and delayed supplies. The Times of India reported on October 29 that, nearly seven months into the academic session, some Delhi government schools were still waiting for textbooks in several subjects.
Teachers had earlier told the newspaper that they were preparing worksheets and adapting lessons while waiting for printed material. By late October, some schools were still relying on PDFs and printouts. Revisions to NCERT textbooks had also made it difficult for schools to reuse books collected from outgoing batches.
A school head in west Delhi said social science textbooks had arrived only around September. Teachers at a north Delhi school said they were using PDFs and printouts in the absence of the required books. The shortages were reported across language sections, including English- and Urdu-medium classes.
In a representation to the education department, education activist and lawyer Ashok Agarwal said some schools had received Class VII English-medium social science books only after the first term ended, while second-term mathematics and social science books remained unavailable in some mediums. He also alleged that students within the same school had received books unevenly.
Agarwal criticised the new arrangement, arguing that principals were being asked to purchase second-term books when the school year was already nearing its end. He questioned whether schools would be able to locate the required books for bulk purchase and raised concerns that using limited Vidyalaya Kalyan Samiti funds could affect spending on essential school work.
He also warned that delays in reimbursement could place an upfront financial burden on schools and alleged that decentralised purchasing could increase the risk of counterfeit textbooks. These concerns were raised by Agarwal and were not independently confirmed in the supplied report.
The circular places the immediate responsibility for obtaining the books on individual schools, while the Delhi Bureau of Text Books remains the agency responsible for printing and supplying them. The next operational steps are for school heads to assess their requirements, arrange purchases through the permitted funding routes and distribute the textbooks to students.
