Meerut: Amroha district administration on Thursday initiated an inquiry against private schools allegedly selling overpriced textbooks. The move was taken after a video of a nine-year-old girl from Hasanpur block, requesting the district magistrate to reduce the cost of school textbooks, started circulating online.
In the 36-second video, Mahi, a Class 1 student at a private school, is heard purportedly saying: “Ma’am, I respectfully request that the prices of books be reduced, as not all parents have the means to afford them.” Following the video, district magistrate Nidhi Gupta Vats directed district inspector of schools (DIOS) Pravesh Yadav to take action.
Taking cognisance of complaints, the DM had earlier ordered a district-wide inspection of private schools affiliated with CBSE and the Uttar Pradesh Board. The DIOS formed six block-level teams with three members each and sought reports within a week.
Yadav said, “Three private schools were found selling books at inflated prices, forcing students to buy them from a single vendor and prescribing non-NCERT publications.”
The DM has instructed the basic education department to take action in accordance with norms.
