The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Centre and states over allegations that private schools are sidelining NCERT and SCERT textbooks.

The Commission has asked the Centre and states to clarify whether any inspections, surveys, or audits have been conducted into claims that private schools continue to use books from private publishers instead of government-prescribed textbooks.

According to the complaint received by the Commission, replacing NCERT or SCERT textbooks with those of private publishers imposes a heavy financial burden on families.

“NCERT textbooks are available at very low prices, whereas books from private publishers are sold at much higher rates. This goes against the vision of the National Education Policy 2020, which aims to make school education equitable, inclusive, and affordable for all, especially for economically weaker and marginalized sections,” the complaint states.

It also points out that the NEP prescribes limits on school bag weight based on class and discourages carrying extra reference books. Forcing students to use multiple textbooks and workbooks from private publishers violates these norms.

The complaint warns that excessive bag weight can lead to health issues among children and alleges that such practices violate Section 29 of the Right to Education Act. It further claims that this has led to the creation of two parallel education systems—one based on the NCERT curriculum and another driven by the commercial interests of private publishers.

The NHRC has sent notices to Chief Secretaries of all states, Administrators of Union Territories, and the Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Union Ministry of Education. They have been directed to investigate the allegations and submit action taken reports.

The Commission observed that differentiating textbooks and curriculum based solely on whether a school is private or government amounts to academic discrimination.

It has also sought to know whether state governments have issued any directions or circulars to District Magistrates, District Education Officers, and Block Education Officers to ensure compliance with Section 29 of the RTE Act in private schools. Copies of such directives, if any, have been requested.

The Centre and states have been asked to provide data on student enrolment from pre-primary to Class 8 in both government and private schools for the 2025–26 academic year.

The Commission has also sought details on the number of textbooks published by SCERT and the ratio between the number of books and the number of students studying in both categories of schools.

A notice has been issued to the Ministry of Education seeking clarification on how examination boards such as CBSE and state boards prescribe curricula that differ from those set by designated authorities (NCERT/SCERT) for classes up to Class 8.