Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Nov 09
The government on Monday began distributing free textbooks to students in government schools from Classes 1 to 8, eight days after the commencement of the 2026-27 academic session.
The distribution was launched by the Education Minister, who visited several schools and handed over textbooks and uniforms to students.
The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) has drawn up a phased schedule for supplying textbooks to government schools across Kashmir, beginning with Srinagar on November 9.
Bandipora is scheduled to receive the books on November 10, followed by Kulgam on November 11 and Kupwara on November 12 and 13.
Education zones in Anantnag are scheduled for November 14 and 16, while those in Budgam will receive textbooks on November 17 and 18.
Distribution in Pulwama is scheduled for November 19 and 20.
Ganderbal is scheduled for November 20 and Shopian for November 21.
Baramulla figures among the last districts in the distribution schedule, with supplies to its education zones planned in three phases between November 23 and 26.
Pattan, Kunzer, Rohama, Sopore, Singpora (K) and Singpora (P) zones are scheduled to receive textbooks on November 23.
Uri, Jhulla, Boniyar, Chandanwari, Baramulla and Chandoosa zones are scheduled for November 25, while Dangiwacha, Wagoora, Tangmarg, Fatehgarh, Nihalpora and Dangerpora will receive their supplies on November 26.
The JKBOSE Textbook Section issued the distribution schedule on November 7 and asked Chief Education Officers to depute representatives from the concerned Zonal Education Officers’ offices to collect the books from the board’s textbook store at New Campus, Bemina, Srinagar.
Speaking to reporters during the distribution programme, JKBOSE Chairman Ghulam Hassan Sheikh said the board expected to complete the process within eight to 10 days.
“This is the first time in many years that we have started distributing books along with the sessions. Our distribution work will be completed in 8-10 days,” he said.
Sheikh said the Central government provides free textbooks to students in government schools, and the printing process generally takes time.
He said the board’s responsibility was to distribute the books to Zonal Education Officers, while the Directorate of School Education Kashmir was responsible for ensuring their delivery to schools.
“We have asked the CEOs to supervise the distribution of the books,” he said, adding that timely availability of textbooks could help improve the quality of education.
The chairman said around 8.2 lakh textbooks had been printed for students enrolled in government schools across Jammu and Kashmir.
Of these, more than three lakh students are in Kashmir and over four lakh in Jammu, he said.
However, some teachers have raised concerns over the timing of the distribution, saying students lose valuable classroom time while waiting for textbooks to reach their schools.
A government school teacher said the delay had become a recurring problem, adding that books first had to reach the education zones before being distributed to individual schools.
For Baramulla, where zonal-level distribution is scheduled for the last week of November, the subsequent delivery to schools could extend the wait further, the teacher said.
Teachers have argued that textbooks should reach schools by the end of October so students can begin the academic session with the required learning material.
