<![CDATA[ UP Board to Hold District-Level Book Fairs; Cracks Down on Costly Private Textbooks for Classes 9–12 ]]> As a step towards providing affordable and certified educational material to students, the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) has issued an important directive for districts across the state to arrange book awareness camps/book fairs before April 15, 2026. The move is likely to help over 1 crore students in Class 9-12 enrolled in more than 29,000 schools in the state.

This comes after the success of the book fair initiative in Agra and Saharanpur divisions. The Secretary of UP Board, Bhagwati Singh, has asked district education officials to take measures to ensure that all government and aided inter-colleges arrange for the book fairs under the watch of assigned officials. Also, all schools are directed to post photographs in a group on the website of the UP Board and WhatsApp Groups of the board.

These book fairs will see authorized publishers like Pioneer Printers (Agra), Pitambra Books (Jhansi), and Singhal Agencies (Lucknow). With the help of these initiatives, students can purchase NCERT textbooks of 70 books across 36 different subjects, apart from 12 additional books in Hindi, Sanskrit, and Urdu.

The move comes amid growing concerns over the circulation of unauthorised textbooks in schools. According to the Board, private publishers’ books have been found to be priced 149% to 361% higher than officially approved textbooks, placing a significant financial burden on students and parents. Reports have also indicated alleged collusion between private publishers and vendors to push these expensive guidebooks.

In response, UPMSP has issued strict directives under Section 7(1-a) of the Intermediate Education Act, 1921, mandating that only authorised and government-approved textbooks be used in schools from the 2026–27 academic session onwards for Classes 9 and above. Schools have been explicitly warned against prescribing private publications.

“To ensure that students receive high-quality education at affordable prices, no books other than those printed by authorised publishers should be used,” the Board stated in its official notice. It further emphasised that strict inspections will be conducted, and any violation by principals, managers, or teachers will invite stringent action.

To help identify genuine books, the Board has introduced a verification feature—each authorised textbook printed this year will carry a unique seven-digit serial number in ultraviolet fluorescent red ink on the cover. Books lacking this mark will be treated as unauthorised.

The Board reiterated that this initiative is not only aimed at reducing costs but also at promoting transparency, awareness, and equal access to quality educational resources across the state.

]]> en Mon, 04 13, 2026 10:00 am <![CDATA[ UP Board to Hold District-Level Book Fairs; Cracks Down on Costly Private Textbooks for Classes 9–12 ]]> As a step towards providing affordable and certified educational material to students, the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) has issued an important directive for districts across the state to arrange book awareness camps/book fairs before April 15, 2026. The move is likely to help over 1 crore students in Class 9-12 enrolled in more than 29,000 schools in the state.

This comes after the success of the book fair initiative in Agra and Saharanpur divisions. The Secretary of UP Board, Bhagwati Singh, has asked district education officials to take measures to ensure that all government and aided inter-colleges arrange for the book fairs under the watch of assigned officials. Also, all schools are directed to post photographs in a group on the website of the UP Board and WhatsApp Groups of the board.

These book fairs will see authorized publishers like Pioneer Printers (Agra), Pitambra Books (Jhansi), and Singhal Agencies (Lucknow). With the help of these initiatives, students can purchase NCERT textbooks of 70 books across 36 different subjects, apart from 12 additional books in Hindi, Sanskrit, and Urdu.

The move comes amid growing concerns over the circulation of unauthorised textbooks in schools. According to the Board, private publishers’ books have been found to be priced 149% to 361% higher than officially approved textbooks, placing a significant financial burden on students and parents. Reports have also indicated alleged collusion between private publishers and vendors to push these expensive guidebooks.

In response, UPMSP has issued strict directives under Section 7(1-a) of the Intermediate Education Act, 1921, mandating that only authorised and government-approved textbooks be used in schools from the 2026–27 academic session onwards for Classes 9 and above. Schools have been explicitly warned against prescribing private publications.

“To ensure that students receive high-quality education at affordable prices, no books other than those printed by authorised publishers should be used,” the Board stated in its official notice. It further emphasised that strict inspections will be conducted, and any violation by principals, managers, or teachers will invite stringent action.

To help identify genuine books, the Board has introduced a verification feature—each authorised textbook printed this year will carry a unique seven-digit serial number in ultraviolet fluorescent red ink on the cover. Books lacking this mark will be treated as unauthorised.

The Board reiterated that this initiative is not only aimed at reducing costs but also at promoting transparency, awareness, and equal access to quality educational resources across the state.

]]> News 2 Mon, 04 13, 2026 10:00 am