Kerala Textbook Printing Delay Sparks Political Row

The Kerala Books and Publication Society (KBPS) has printed only around 70% of the required textbooks, with the cover pages yet to be printed due to a shortage of paper, according to K.K. Ibrahim Kutty, president of the KBPS Staff and Workers Union (INTUC). The union alleges that the government failed to supply paper on time, halting the binding process.

The issue has sparked a political controversy, with the union accusing the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government of misrepresenting the progress of textbook printing ahead of the Assembly elections.

The KBPS chairman and managing director, Sunil Chacko, has dismissed concerns over the delay as unnecessary, stating that the paper supplies resumed on Saturday and the textbook distribution would be completed within the stipulated time frame.

The immediate outlook is that the main titles required by students from Classes 1 to 10 will be printed by May 15, with the remaining activity books to be printed subsequently. The government is expected to take further action to resolve the issue and ensure timely distribution of textbooks.