PRAYAGRAJ, July 5 -- Students of Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP), commonly known as UP Board, will have to pay significantly more for their textbooks this academic session, with prices rising by up to eight times compared to previous years.

The increase follows a decision by the board to raise commissions for publishers and retailers to bring them on par with NCERT standards, claim officials of the state secondary education department.

This is the first major revision in textbook pricing since the UP Board introduced NCERT-based syllabi in 2018. While the price hike may seem steep, board officials point out that UP Board books still remain more affordable than NCERT books, offering considerable savings to students in th...