New Delhi | October 2026: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has criticised the BJP-led Delhi government over the alleged delay in distributing textbooks to students studying in government schools, with party's Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj claiming that several students are still waiting for their complete set of books even as the academic year approaches its end.
Bharadwaj said the academic session began on April 1, but students had yet to receive all their textbooks despite October nearing its end. He questioned Education Minister Ashish Sood over the delay and challenged him to disclose whether a penalty had been imposed on the contractor responsible for the late delivery.
Bharadwaj pointed out that the rules reportedly provide for a penalty of five per cent for every week of delay. He asked whether the minister would accept his challenge and produce the relevant files to establish whether the contractor had been penalised for the delayed supply of textbooks or whether full payment was being made without any deduction.
The AAP leader also raised questions about the role of senior officials in the matter.
He asked whether it was true that the Education Secretary was unwilling to sign the file until a penalty was imposed on the contractor for the late delivery of books. Bharadwaj further questioned whether Education Minister Ashish Sood had called the Education Secretary to his office to discuss the issue and whether Nitin Jindal was also involved in the matter.
To highlight the alleged shortage of textbooks, Bharadwaj interacted with students at a school and asked them which books they had received and which were still pending.
According to the students, several textbooks remained undistributed across different classes.
Students in Class 8 said they had not yet received Part 2 of their Mathematics textbook. Class 7 students reported that they were still waiting for their Science textbook, Part 2 of Mathematics and Part 2 of Social Science (SST).
Similarly, Class 6 students said they had not received the Kaushal Bodh textbook, while Class 9 students reported that their Social Science textbook was yet to be supplied.
Reacting to the situation, Bharadwaj launched a sharp attack on Education Minister Ashish Sood, expressing anger over the continued delay in distributing textbooks.
He pointed out that the academic session had started in April and students had already appeared for their mid-term examinations, yet several textbooks had not reached them even in October.
Bharadwaj questioned how students were expected to keep pace with their studies without access to the prescribed learning materials. He also demanded accountability from the education department over the delay and the alleged failure to ensure timely distribution.
The AAP leader's remarks have brought the issue of textbook availability in Delhi government schools into focus, raising concerns about the impact of delayed supplies on classroom teaching, students' learning and examination preparation.
The party has sought answers from the Delhi government regarding the reasons for the delay, the responsibility of the contractor and whether financial penalties have been imposed in accordance with the applicable rules.
