School books to arrive before reopening: KBPS completes first phase of school textbook printing for classes I–X

KOCHI: Defying a severe paper shortage, the Kerala Books and Publications Society (KBPS) has successfully completed the first phase of textbook printing for the upcoming academic year. The milestone guarantees that students across the state will receive their study materials well before schools reopen for the 2026–27 term.

According to KBPS officials, a total of 5.59 crore textbooks are scheduled to be printed in two phases for students in Classes I through X. The first phase, encompassing 3.57 crore volumes, concluded on May 15. This initial batch includes core subject textbooks alongside minority language publications in Tamil and Kannada.

Attention has now shifted to printing workbook and activity modules, which are currently being produced at a rapid pace of six lakh copies per day. Officials confirmed these supplemental materials will be fully ready for dispatch by May 22.

The distribution logistics are already in their final stages. Completed textbooks have been moved to various district textbook hubs, from where the Kudumbashree network is handling the final delivery to individual school societies. The initial printing cycle originally commenced in the third week of December, and with the first volume now successfully dispatched, KBPS is scheduled to begin printing the second volume of textbooks in October.

While production faced logistical hurdles due to an industry-wide paper scarcity, KBPS Managing Director Sunil Chacko commended the workforce for steering the project back on track. He noted that despite significant challenges in securing paper supplies, a collaborative effort allowed them to overcome the bottleneck, with employees working tirelessly through weekends and public holidays to meet the deadline.