The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Union education ministry, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and all states and Union Territories (UT) over allegations that private schools are prescribing costly books from private publishers.
The NHRC raised concerns of 'financial burden' on parents and possible denial of equitable access to education, citing the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act.
The commission directed chief secretaries and UT administrators to submit responses within 30 days, seeking information on whether directions have been issued to ensure compliance with RTE norms and to undertake school-wise audits of prescribed books.
The NHRC also sought enrolment data and details of textbooks used in the 2025–26 academic year, and asked the education ministry to clarify the role of authorities like NCERT in prescribing textbooks.
The issue highlights a regulatory grey area, with private schools permitted to use textbooks from different publishers up to Class 8, but the CBSE has not issued any fresh directive on textbook usage since August 2024.
