Textbooks distributed to 60 pc of schools

Further, the government has claimed that the quality of books has improved in a big way while the cost has come down.

The textbooks will be available in all government, aided and private schools. Distribution of books for the first time will be via schools and not through bookshops in the open market.

Already in schools

Speaking to Deccan Herald, the Commissioner of the Department of Public Instruction, B A Harish Gowda said that the books were already sent to the schools.

“Textbooks have been dispatched to over 60 percent of the schools in the State. Students will, for the first time, get top quality government textbooks bound with the latest technology at an affordable rate,” he said.

Gowda added that the books had been laminated, and top quality paper had been used.

Printing cost

The Commissioner also said that the expenditure in printing books had come down by approximately Rs 5 to 6 crore.

Harish Gowda said that the lower cost of printing was mainly due to proper tendering for printing of textbooks. Official sources at the department claimed that while last a year Rs 65 crore had been spent to print books, this year the total expenditure for printing came up to only Rs 57 crore.