UP Board rolls out doorstep delivery of NCERT books for classes 9 to 12

The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP), Prayagraj, has announced affordable NCERT-based textbook sets for students of Classes 9 to 12 for the 2026–27 academic session. Through this initiative, the board aims to make quality study material easily accessible to students across the state at reasonable prices.

According to the board, the Class 9 and 10 book sets include subjects like Hindi, Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and Sanskrit. For Classes 11 and 12, the sets cover a wide range of subjects, including English, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, History, Geography, Civics, Sociology, Economics, Business Studies, Accountancy, and Home Science. In total, nearly 70 books across 36 subjects have been included.

To make the distribution process smoother, the board has appointed three authorised publishers and distributors for different classes. Students will be able to buy the books through local wholesalers, retailers, and online platforms starting February 2026. The board has also tied up with Amazon and launched the portal Pioneerbooks.in, making it easier for students to order textbooks online and get them delivered at home without paying extra delivery charges.

Also read Kerala school textbooks for Classes 6 to 8 may take 45 more days, union leader claims

Bahraich textbook scam raises concerns

A major textbook scam has come to light in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district, where over 13,000 government school textbooks meant for free distribution to students were allegedly sold as scrap. These books were supposed to be provided to students for the 2026–27 academic session under the Samagra Shiksha scheme.

The matter surfaced after District Magistrate Akshay Tripathi reportedly received information about a truck transporting government textbooks to Kashipur in Uttarakhand. Acting on the tip-off, police stopped the truck in neighbouring Lakhimpur district and recovered more than 10 tonnes of textbooks. During the investigation, officials also discovered that thousands of books were missing from government stock records.

Following the probe, the district administration suspended two education department attendants and ended the contracts of several staff members. Show-cause notices were also issued to senior officials over alleged negligence and poor record management. An FIR was lodged against a scrap dealer, the truck owner, and others linked to the case under relevant sections of the law.

Also read Assam board allows Class 9 students to study Maths, Science in English medium

The incident has raised serious questions about how free textbooks are stored and distributed in government schools. Officials have now stressed the need for better monitoring, stricter tracking systems, and greater transparency to ensure that study materials reach students without any irregularities.