Session on but still no text books Text book fiasco continues
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 27 2012: Students studying in Government schools are unlikely to get their complete set of text books any time soon which are given under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan even as academic sessions have already commenced.

According to information received from the SSA State Project Office, it is unlikely that text books prescribed by Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BSEM) for classes I to VIII can be made available to Government school students through SSA even as academic sessions have already commenced.

However, text books prescribed by BSEM and published by Guwahati based Labanya Prakashan book firm have been delivered.

It is reported that more than Rs 3 crore was sanctioned for printing these text books which are under process of distribution to different districts.

So far, 22677 copies of these text books have been distributed to Chandel district in the first phase followed by another 22700 copies in the second phase.

Likewise, 37250 copies have been given to Ukhrul district, 26632 copies to Senapati district in the first phase and another 35113 in the second phase, 21152 copies to Kangpokpi in the first phase and another 31206 copies in the second phase.

For Churachandpur district, 43910 copies of text books were given in the first phase followed by another 46093 in the second phase.

Thoubal district has been given 35199 copies and 20805 copies in the first and second phases respectively.

31773 copies and 25518 copies have been given to Imphal East in the first and second phases respectively and 46754 copies to Tamenglong district.

For Imphal West district, 26491 copies and 31120 copies were given in the first and second phases respectively.

These text books were distributed between February 1 and February 16.However, most of the text books published by local book firms have not yet reached BSEM.

BSEM was distributing the available copies to all the districts.

In case, the text books printed in the State could not reach BSEM in the coming days, it would be impossible to make text books available to Government school students even though academic sessions have already started.

The books which were printed in Labanya Prakashan book firm and brought to Imphal are Manipuri Sahitya, Mathematics, Hindi Puspamala, Environmental Studies, Manipuri Tengbang Sahitya, A Book of English Supplementary Reader and Social Sciences.

Though the SSA authority has also been working hard to provide text books to students under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, Government school students would be facing serious difficulties as local book firms which were given contracts for printing text books are still unable to deliver text books to BSEM.

Taking serious note of the prevailing education scenario in Manipur, a team of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights made an assessment of the situation at Imphal yesterday.

Thoubal ZEO Zone III S Tomba said that they collected text books from BSEM on February 6 for distribution to students under SSA scheme.

However, instead of distributing the text books to students, all the text books were found sold to a book shop located at Lilong Bazar.

A complaint has been already filed at Lilong police station in this regard, said the ZEO.

He lamented that Deputy Inspector of Schools Nabakishore and Headmasters/Headmistresses involved in selling off the text books as well as the owner of the book shop have not been pulled up till date in spite of the complaint.

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