Over one lakh Class 4 students in Uttar Pradesh government schools will begin using National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks from the 2026–27 academic session, the state’s Basic Education Department announced.
The move is part of an ongoing effort to align the state’s curriculum with the National Curriculum Framework and improve learning outcomes.
Currently, students in Class 3 are studying NCERT books during the 2025–26 session, while Classes 1 and 2 transitioned to the new syllabus last year.
Officials said that a separate tender has been issued to print and distribute free NCERT textbooks and workbooks for Classes 1 to 4 across all government primary schools.
From 2026–27, Class 4 students will receive a new set of NCERT books — Veena (Hindi), Santoor (English), Ganit Mela (Mathematics), Hamara Adbhut Sansar (Environmental Studies), Sanskrit Sudha, Bansuri (Art Education), and Riyazi (Urdu) — each accompanied by corresponding workbooks.
The State Institute of Education, Institute of English Language Teaching, and State Hindi Institute are customising the material for local relevance.
The final versions will be reviewed and approved by NCERT before printing begins, ensuring timely delivery before the new session starts on April 1.
Even as curriculum modernisation continues, the Education Department has expressed concern over limited use of digital learning tools in schools.
Despite the installation of 7,409 smart classrooms, 4,686 ICT labs, and 570 digital libraries over the past two years, many remain underutilised.
Director of School Education Monica Rani has instructed officials to identify ten schools in each district with the lowest digital tool usage and seek explanations from their headmasters. Regular reviews have also been mandated to ensure these facilities are effectively used.
In a parallel initiative, the Uttar Pradesh government is collaborating with NCERT and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to develop course modules on Ayurveda for schools and colleges.
The modules aim to familiarise students with holistic health principles, integrating traditional Indian knowledge with modern education.