Srinagar, Oct 15: In a significant development, the authorities at J&K Board of School Education (JKBOSE) have decided to start the free distribution of textbooks to all the education zones from first week of November, 2026.
In a exclusive conversation with Greater Kashmir, chairman JKBOSE Ghulam Hassan Sheikh said the timely distribution of textbooks is aimed at ensuring smooth start of the new academic session in schools.
He said the JKBOSE has printed the textbooks for both government and private schools as per the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) plus data.
UDISE is an educational management information system under the Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education under the Government of India.
It functions as a central platform that enables respective schools to efficiently record and submit data related to its profile (infrastructure & facilities), individual students and teachers’ details.
“We print the textbooks as per the data shown on UDISE with 10 percent increase and distribute textbooks for market supply and free distribution to government schools as well,” he added.
Currently, the summative assessment of junior classes students in all schools is going on and the new academic session is set to begin from November first week.
In view of this, timely availability of textbooks is mandatory.
Chairman JKBOSE further said that this year JKBOSE has revised the syllabus of textbooks of four classes which include class 1st, 2nd and 3rd primary besides the class 6th as well.
“We have done it as per the NEP-2020,” he added.
He said that students have only Mathematics, English, Urdu and Kashmiri subjects in 1st and 2nd primary as per NCF foundational stage.
“From 3rd primary onwards we prescribe textbook of environmental science to students which is combination of Social science and Science,” he added.
Chairman JKBOSE said that under NCF students in lower primary classes should not be given academic burden because that will “leave students disinterested in studies.”
He said the syllabus of other classes will be revised in near future and will be “hopefully” implemented in academic session 2027-2028.
About the timely availability of textbooks in government schools, Chairman JKBOSE said they distribute the textbooks to all the education zones as per the UDISE data.
“The further distribution of books to schools in zones is prerogative of the concerned zonal educational officers,” he said.
As already reported by this newspaper, JK Board of School Education (JKBOSE) has made it mandatory for the private schools to adopt its textbooks for the students from primary to higher classes.
The orders have been issued by JKBOSE using its powers vested under the Jammu And Kashmir Board of School Education Act 1975.
“Under the Act, JKBOSE holds the authority to prescribe courses of instruction, curricula, syllabi, and textbooks for various academic levels, including pre-primary, elementary, secondary, and higher secondary school examinations,” reads a circular issued by JKBOSE during previous years.
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