Reprinting revised textbooks to cost Rs 150 crore

If the government goes for reprinting, the cost will double as the already printed books will go waste, with 75% of the printing being completed

If the government decides to reprint the revised textbooks by correcting the mistakes, as announced by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, it will burden the exchequer by Rs 150 crore.

As per one of the orders issued by the government, it costs around Rs 152 crore for the government every year to supply textbooks to students in grades 1 to 10 at state government and aided schools.

Private unaided schools pay the government to buy books and collect money from the parents.

A document available with DH shows that there are over 59 lakh children enrolled at government and aided schools this academic year and to supply free textbooks, the estimated cost was Rs 152.81 crore.

If the government goes for reprinting, the cost will double as the already printed books will go waste, with 75 per cent of the printing being completed.

However, official sources from the department of primary and secondary education said that no decision had been taken yet.

“If we go by the CM’s statement, it will result in reprinting. But there is no official communication from the government about it,” said an official from the Karnataka Textbook Society.

The official said the government is likely to consider reprinting books only if errors are identified.

“It has decided to rectify the mistakes as highlighted - information on Basavanna, Dr Ambedkar, etc. But the mode of communication to schools is yet to be decided,” the official said.