Corruption in education, including issues related to NCERT books, manifests through various forms, such as bribery, nepotism, and the misallocation of funds, ultimately compromising the integrity of academic institutions. Teachers, often at the frontline of this struggle, may face significant grievances related to insufficient resources, inadequate salaries, or lack of administrative support. These issues not only affect their professional morale but also hinder their ability to provide quality education. When teachers raise their voices against these injustices, they risk facing retaliation or dismissal, which further exacerbates the problem of corruption. It is imperative to address these grievances to foster a transparent and equitable educational environment conducive to learning.

🚨Corruption in Education & NCERT Books: A Teacher’s Grievance Exposes Corruption in School Education

The education system, intended as a pillar of public service, often becomes a battleground for commercial interests, with corruption in education further complicating the landscape. A recent grievance filed by a teacher in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, highlights a stark example of this issue. The grievance concerns the alleged forced sale of expensive, non-NCERT textbooks in CBSE-affiliated schools. This practice appears to be protected by layers of bureaucratic and political influence, raising concerns about the integrity of educational institutions and the role of NCERT books in providing accessible and affordable learning resources.

---

📚 The Grievance: Exploitation in Mirzapur Schools

The complaint, filed by Shivam Varma, a teacher at Lions School, Bhujwa ki Chowki, Mirzapur, details a systemic pattern of exploitation. This pattern targets students and their parents.

The Core Allegations

• Forced Purchase: Students and guardians are allegedly subjected to “physical and mental torture.” Management compels them to purchase costly textbooks from private writers, causing a significant financial burden.
• Non-Compliance with CBSE: The Lions School, affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), actively pressures students to use non-NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) books.
• Tactics of Sale: Initially, school staff sold the private books directly on school premises. Later, class teachers directed students to specific external shops for purchases, while they allegedly criticised NCERT books as “low level” and inadequate for board exams.
• Management Overlap: The same committee manages both the Lions School at Bhujwa ki Chowki and the one at Laldiggi, Mirzapur, suggesting a wider, coordinated practice.

The Financial Dimension: The “Book Bungling”

The grievance reveals a shocking claim that underscores the massive financial incentive behind this practice: (Corruption in Education & NCERT Books)

The key member of the school’s governing body was allegedly removed from his post for a bungling of ₹1,600,000 (sixteen lakh rupees) earned solely through the sale of private writers’ books at the Bhujwa ki Chowki branch (with a strength of 1,000 students).

The Lions School at Laldiggi has a student strength of approximately 4,000. People speculate that this book-selling operation will generate manifold income. This case illustrates the lucrative nature of this racket.

---

📜 CBSE and Government Guidelines on Textbooks (Corruption in Education & NCERT Books)

The mandatory use of NCERT textbooks is a cornerstone of India’s policy for quality and affordable school education. The school’s alleged actions directly contradict established guidelines.

Mandatory Use of NCERT Books

The official guidelines clearly state:

• Classes I to VIII: Schools must use NCERT or SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training) textbooks.
• Classes IX to XII: NCERT books are mandatory.
• Exceptions: If NCERT books are unavailable for certain subjects, schools may use CBSE-approved books listed on the Board’s website.
• Supplementary Materials: Any additional material must align with the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) and must not contain objectionable content.

Transparency Requirements

To ensure compliance and transparency, CBSE-affiliated schools must:

1. Publish a list of prescribed books on their official website.
2. Include a signed declaration from the Principal and Manager confirming the content review and compliance with guidelines.

Government Initiatives

The Ministry of Education actively enforces these mandates by making executive decisions to improve the quality of NCERT content. Additionally, state-level authorities ban the books of unauthorised private publishers in government and aided schools.

---

🛡️ The Barrier to Action: Allegations of Rampant Corruption

Despite the clear violations and the detailed nature of the complaint, the teacher raises the core issue of perceived lack of accountability, suggesting that the school’s management shields itself from action.

The complainant strongly alleges the following:

No action is being taken. being taken. The authorities are not taking any action on the management of L due to their influence in bureaucratic circles and their connections to political masters. In other words, rampant corruption plagues the government machinery, which benefits from it.

This assertion highlights a major institutional failure, as the machinery meant to enforce regulations allegedly suffers from corruption, allowing “capitalist forces” to exploit the public interest for private profit.

---

🏛️ Grievance Status and the Path Forward (Corruption in Education & NCERT Books)

The authorities have officially registered the complaint under two separate tracking numbers, confirming its receipt by both the Central and State government authorities:

Grievance No.	Date of Receipt	Received By	Officer Concerned
DOSEL/E/2025/0003990	14/05/2025	School Education and Literacy (Central)	Shri Sankha Roy (Deputy Secretary)
GOVUP/E/2025/0050476	14/05/2025	Uttar Pradesh (State)	Shri Arvind Mohan (Joint Secretary)

The current status is “Grievance received” according to the guidelines, indicating that the authorities are conducting an initial review of the matter. The applicant requests the cancellation of the affiliation of Lions School, citing its operation as being “against the guidelines. (Corruption in Education & NCERT Books)

The integrity of the CBSE affiliation process is crucial. The government’s commitment to protecting students from exploitation depends on the actions taken by these responsible officers. Effective action is necessary. It would involve a swift and impartial inquiry into the financial irregularities. This inquiry must ensure adherence to NCERT guidelines. Such measures could potentially result in fines and penalties. Additionally, as requested by the complainant, they may lead to the revocation of the school’s affiliation.

Yes, I can certainly provide the official guidelines and circulars from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to provide the necessary context for the grievance.

📜 Official CBSE Guidelines on Textbooks and Commercial Activities

The grievance alleges actions that clearly violate established CBSE Affiliation Bye-Laws and circulars. These include forcing the purchase of expensive non-NCERT books. Additionally, there are directives to purchase from specific external vendors.

---

1. Mandatory Use of NCERT/SCERT Textbooks

CBSE’s guidelines are explicit about standardising the curriculum content and minimising the financial burden on parents. (Corruption in Education & NCERT Books)

• Classes IX to XII (Mandatory Use): Schools are mandatorily required to follow the NCERT textbooks prescribed in the CBSE curriculum. For subjects where NCERT or SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training) books are unavailable, schools must use the books listed on the CBSE website.
• Classes I to VIII (Strong Recommendation): Schools should use NCERT or SCERT textbooks. While they may use supplementary material, it must align with the National Curriculum Framework (NCF-SE) and reinforce the core content, not replace the primary textbooks.
• Content Responsibility: Schools must exercise extreme caution when selecting any supplementary materials or books from private publishers to ensure they do not contain objectionable or offensive content. The school’s Manager and Principal must sign a written declaration taking full responsibility for the content of all prescribed books.

---

2. Prohibition of Commercial Activities

CBSE bases its affiliation rules on the principle that schools run as a community service, not a business venture. The Board has repeatedly issued circulars to curb commercialisation. (Corruption in Education & NCERT Books)

Violation Type	CBSE Directive	Relevant Bye-Law/Circular Point
Coercing Purchases (Corruption in Education & NCERT Books)	Schools are directed to desist from the unhealthy practice of coercing parents to buy textbooks, notebooks, stationery, uniforms, etc., from within the premises or from selected vendors only.	The core issue is the coercion and monopoly, as affiliation Bye-Law 19.1(ii) states that schools must be run as a community service, not a business.
Sale on School Premises	Schools are permitted to open a small outlet (‘Tuck Shop’) on the school premises for convenience. However, the sale of books (NCERT and non-NCERT), stationery, and uniforms must be done without any coercion.	This means the school can stock the books for easy availability, but forcing parents to buy them from that specific shop (or its designated external vendor) is a violation.
Transparency	Schools must display the class-wise details of all prescribed textbooks (NCERT and non-NCERT) on their official website before the start of each academic session.	This ensures parents can procure the books from any vendor they choose.

---

⚖️ Legal Standing for Action (Corruption in Education & NCERT Books)

The grievance against Lions School for forcing the purchase of expensive, non-NCERT books through selected vendors, coupled with the allegation of massive financial “bungling”, constitutes a violation of the following:

1. CBSE Affiliation Bye-Laws: Specifically, the rules governing the mandatory use of NCERT books (especially for Classes IX-XII) and the prohibition of schools operating as commercial enterprises.
2. CBSE Circulars: Multiple circulars have warned schools against coercing parents to buy from specific sources and against prescribing an excessive number of expensive, non-NCERT books to increase the financial burden. (Corruption in Education & NCERT Books)

The requested action—cancellation of affiliation—is a valid and possible disciplinary step that the CBSE can take against affiliated schools that are found to be in gross violation of its rules and ethical standards.

Yes, based on the search results, it’s clear that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and other government bodies treat the forced sale of non-NCERT books as a serious violation that can lead to severe penalties, including disaffiliation.

🏛️ Penalties and Action Against Commercialisation (Corruption in Education & NCERT Books)

business”. The CBSE and regulatory bodies, like the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), have repeatedly emphasised that schools are a “community service, not a business”. Violations of this principle, particularly forcing the purchase of expensive books, trigger several layers of punitive action.

1. Disaffiliation or Downgrading of Affiliation (Corruption in Education & NCERT Books)

Disaffiliation is the most severe action and is the ultimate outcome requested in the grievance.

• CBSE Affiliation Bye-Laws: Rule 19.1(ii) of the Affiliation Bye-Laws clearly states that a school must be run as a community service and that “commercialisation does not take place in the school in any shape whatsoever.” Violating this core principle can lead to disciplinary action, including disaffiliation.
• The CBSE regularly disaffiliates or downgrades schools for malpractices such as financial irregularities, presenting dummy students, and failing to follow Affiliation Bye-Laws. The threat of disaffiliation serves as a standing directive against schools that coerce parents into buying from selected vendors.

2. Imposition of Significant Financial Fines (Corruption in Education & NCERT Books)

District and state-level authorities have begun imposing steep fines on erring schools under state-specific regulations.

• Uttar Pradesh Example: In Sambhal, the district administration imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh (one lakh rupees) on each of 33 private schools found using non-NCERT books and forcing students to purchase from specific vendors at high prices. The penalties were levied under the UP Self-Financed School Fee Regulation Act, 2018. This sets a precedent for action under state law, which is relevant to the complaint filed with the Uttar Pradesh government.

3. Judicial Intervention and Legal Threat (Corruption in Education & NCERT Books)

The High Courts have escalated the issue, and child rights bodies are monitoring it.

• Juvenile Justice Act (JJ Act): The NCPCR has warned that if a school discriminates against or harasses a child for using books apart from those prescribed by NCERT/SCERT, it may attract action under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015. The act penalises practices that cause “mental or physical suffering” to students.
• Madras High Court Precedent: A court ruling from the Madras High Court (in M. Purushottam v. Union of India) said that using non-NCERT books puts an unfair economic burden on students and goes against CBSE rules.
• Public Interest Litigation (PIL): Recent PILs filed in the Delhi High Court show that private books can cost up to ₹12,000 a year, while NCERT books cost only ₹700, and they ask the court to make authorities take action against schools that do not follow the rules.

4. Continuous CBSE Advisories (Corruption in Education & NCERT Books)

The CBSE has issued multiple strong circulars over the years demanding compliance:

• Circular 10/2017 (and others): The Board “directed schools to desist from the unhealthy practice of coercing parents to buy textbooks, notebooks, stationery… from within the premises or from selected vendors only.”
• Tuck Shop Rule: The CBSE clarified that while schools can open a small ‘Tuck Shop’ for only NCERT books, they shall not sell books from any other publishers, and parents must remain free to buy items from any vendor of their choice. Selling non-NCERT books in these shops is a violation.

The detailed grievance about the Lions School branches in Mirzapur, especially the alleged ₹16 lakh financial bungling, provides clear evidence that matches the exact violations CBSE has repeatedly warned against, making the management very vulnerable to the penalties mentioned above, including the cancellation of affiliation.