New Delhi

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) on Monday announced a 20 per cent reduction in textbook prices for classes 9 to 12, effective from the upcoming academic year.

This was announced by NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani during an event here.

Speaking at an event, Saklani said this is the first time that the price of textbooks has been significantly reduced.

"This year, NCERT has brought in a lot of efficiency in paper procurement and also onboarded printers with the latest printing machines. NCERT has decided to pass on this benefit to the students of the country," Saklani said.

"All textbooks of grades 9-12 for the next academic year shall be retailed by NCERT at 20 percent lower price than the existing price. This is unprecedented in the history of NCERT," he added.

Meanwhile, the textbooks for grades 1-8 will continue to be retailed at Rs 65 per copy.

Saklani was speaking during the Bhumi Pujan for the construction of the auditorium at NCERT Headquarters.

The event was presided over by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. An MoU was signed between NCERT and Flipkart to widen the reach of NCERT textbooks during the event.

Every year, NCERT prints around 4-5 crore textbooks in around 300 titles.

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NCERT has recently expanded its reach through partnerships with e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, further facilitating nationwide access to genuine textbooks.