Delhi Government School Students Face Class IX Hindi Medium NCERT Textbook Shortage
Four months into the 2026-27 academic session, a critical shortage of Class IX Hindi-medium NCERT textbooks has left many students in Delhi government schools, including those in parts of east Delhi, without their physical learning materials. The delay in textbook distribution has forced these students to depend on their teachers' mobile phones and handwritten notes to cover their science and social science curriculum.
The lack of books has sparked widespread frustration among parents and education activists, who allege that the delay places Hindi-medium students at a severe disadvantage compared to their peers. These groups have raised allegations of discrimination, pointing out that English-medium versions of the Class IX science and social science textbooks were released on schedule earlier in the session.
Umesh Gupta, a social worker and member of a school management committee, stated that he has received numerous complaints from affected parents and students who are struggling to study without the necessary materials. Gupta expressed deep concern over the ongoing issue and directed criticism toward the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
"This is discrimination against Hindi-medium govt school students by NCERT," Gupta said. "It is alarming that even four months into the 2026-27 academic session, Hindi-medium Class IX science and social science books are not available in the market."
The impact of the textbook shortage is already highly visible inside classrooms, where teachers and students are being forced to improvise in order to continue lessons. Education activist and lawyer Ashok Agarwal encountered the problem directly during a recent visit to parts of east Delhi. During his visit, Class IX government school students told him they were yet to receive their books.
With four months of the 2026-27 academic session already gone, parents and activists continue to demand that the Hindi-medium textbooks be made available to prevent further academic disruption for the affected Delhi government school students.
