Paper shortage solved: KBPS churns out six lakh books daily to meet school reopening deadline

KOCHI: Overcoming the crisis of paper shortage, the printing of school textbooks is set to be completed by the 22nd of this month, ensuring they are ready for distribution well before the new academic year begins. Printing is currently progressing at a "war footing" pace at the Kerala Books and Publications Society (KBPS) in Kakkanad.

According to official reports, 78 percent of the printing for Volume I textbooks (Classes I to X) has already been completed. Furthermore, 65 percent of the required books have already been distributed to the respective centers. The printing process, which commenced in the third week of December, reached a milestone on February 13 when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan officially inaugurated the state-level textbook distribution.

600,000 books per day

To meet the total requirement of 3.57 crore (35.7 million) textbooks, the KBPS facility is operating at a high capacity, churning out approximately 600,000 books daily. A significant hurdle involving the supply of cover paper was recently cleared after the authorities resolved outstanding payment disputes with the Tamil Nadu Paper Mill.

Technical specifications indicate that 76 cm reel paper is being utilised for Classes I to IV, while 83 cm reel paper is being used for Classes V to X. While the standard schedule usually involves starting print in November to ensure April delivery, the current accelerated pace is compensating for earlier delays.

Revised curriculum

The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) had previously revised the textbooks for Classes I to X in two phases during the last academic year. Additionally, the curriculum for Plus One (Class XI) has been updated, and the revision process for Plus Two (Class XII) textbooks is currently underway.

"The printing of textbooks will be completed before the schools reopen. Any rumours or campaigns suggesting otherwise are completely baseless."

— Sunil Chacko, Managing Director, KBPS