Question : BOOKS AT SUBSIDISED RATES



(a) whether the Government are aware of the exorbitant prices of school and college books; and

(b) if so, the steps proposed to be taken to make available books at subsidised rates?

Answer given by the minister


THE MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. MURLI MANOHAR JOSHI)

(a) and (b) The production and distribution of school text- books is the responsibility of the State Government. So far as the NCERT text-books are concerned, a price ceiling of Rs. 25/- per book has been fixed for class I to VIII. The other text-books of the NCERT are also fixed at reasonable prices.

Under the Scheme of the Subsidised Publication of Books (popularly known as LCUE - Low Cost University Edition) being operated by the National Book Trust of India, only such books are subsidised for which a definite need is felt and which relate to subject areas, where books of an acceptable standard are either not available or are so expensive as to the means of students. Similarly, a Cell has been created under the Director of all India Institute of Medical Sciences for publication of medical books for Indian students.