NCERT books available online for free on 'e-paathshala'

New Delhi: Amidst reports that school students are finding it difficult to procure NCERT textbooks, HRD minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday said that they are also available online for free at her ministry's 'e-paathshala' initiative.

Interacting with reporters here, the HRD minister said NCERT has also given copyrights to over 8 state governments to print books as they deem fit to fulfill the requirements of their students.

"We would also put out in public that NCERT has its own sales counter in Ajmer, Bhopal, Shillong, Bhubneswar, Mysuru, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Guwahati and New Delhi, from where schools can procure these books in bulk," she said.

The NCERT text books from class I to XII are also available on web based platform e-paathshala for free, she said.

The HRD minister, however, also added that her ministry in conjunction with CBSE in July 2015 given a circular which states very clearly that forcing parents and children to buy too many textbooks is not only unhealthy but unsound practice.