BENGALURU: Government-aided schools across Karnataka are likely to face a delay in the delivery of textbooks for the academic year 2026-27.

The Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) grants administrative approval for textbooks in December, and most textbooks are printed by the end of May.

But this year, approval was made in February, delaying call for tenders and placing an indent with the Karnataka Textbook Society (KTBS) for printing textbooks.

Umesh G Gangavadi, President of the State School Development and Monitoring Committee questioned what will children refer to or study at home after school.

“This is not the first time, every year the books are distributed four months after the schools start. Teachers download online version of these textbooks and print only one copy”, he said.

Textbook number and cost

• A total of 7,87,140 textbooks at a total cost of Rs 3.11 crore for Anganwadis

• A total of 6,74,58,588 textbooks at a total cost of Rs 308 crore are required for students from class 1 to 10

• A total of 27,22,363 textbooks at a total cost of Rs 9.42 crore for Government PU college students

• 38,43,650 moral science textbooks to be printed at a total cost of Rs 14.42cr