Chandigarh: The Chandigarh Parents’ Association has alleged that textbooks prescribed by some private schools in the city were not being supplied to independent booksellers, resulting in restricted availability in the open market. In a representation submitted to the director of school education on March 11, the association referred to the education department’s memo dated Feb 27 directing private schools to upload lists of prescribed textbooks on their websites for the academic session 2026–27. The parents’ body said the move had improved transparency and was welcomed by the parent community. However, the association alleged that despite the directive, certain publishers whose books have been prescribed by some schools, were reportedly refusing to accept orders from independent booksellers. According to the representation, local booksellers have informed the association that these books were being supplied only through limited channels, restricting wider market access.“The government had asked the schools to make book lists public so that parents get choice and fair prices. If books are available only at one shop, then it is compliance on paper, but monopoly in practice,” said Nitin Goyal, president of the Chandigarh Parents’ Association.He added that several booksellers had indicated that they would prefer offering discounts to parents rather than paying commissions to schools, but are unable to do so because some publishers are allegedly refusing to supply books outside a restricted distribution network.The representation cited instances where books prescribed by certain schools were reportedly available only at one shop, while in other cases books were allegedly not being supplied to independent booksellers at all. In another instance, the association alleged that books prescribed by a school were linked to a local bookseller and are not being supplied to other retailers.At the same time, the parents’ body acknowledged that books prescribed by one reputed school in the city are widely available across multiple independent bookstores.The association has urged the education department to issue a supplementary directive to ensure that prescribed textbooks are freely available in the market. Among the measures suggested are requiring schools to publish the names and addresses of at least four independent bookshops where prescribed books are available and obtaining undertakings that publishers will supply books to any bookseller in the city.
