PRAYAGRAJ, Jan. 3 -- Even after a marginal increase in prices this time around, textbooks being published by the UP Board for the 2026-27 academic session will remain cheaper than NCERT books. The Board has issued the work order for publication, and the authorised textbooks are expected to reach all 75 districts by the end of January, officials confirmed. UP Board secretary Bhagwati Singh said that the Board was committed to ensuring timely availability of authorised textbooks. This move will benefit over 1 crore students studying in Classes 9 to 12 across more than 29,000 UP Board-affiliated schools. For the first time in the last nine years, students from middle and lower-middle-income families will be able to buy authorised and affordable textbooks well before the start of the academic session. Earlier, textbooks usually reached the market by July, even though the academic session begins on April 1. Due to pressure from teachers, students were often forced to buy unauthorised books at much higher prices within the first few weeks of the session. Keeping this issue in mind, the Board initiated the publication process well in advance this year. To ensure smooth availability, retailers selling UP Board NCERT-based textbooks will receive a 20 percent commission this year, encouraging them to stock and sell the books. In previous years, publishers printed the books but failed to distribute them widely due to low margins. This time, publishers have been made responsible for supplying textbooks to all 75 districts. The board has issued work orders for 70 textbooks across 36 NCERT subjects, along with 12 textbooks in Hindi, Sanskrit, and Urdu, officials shared. According to the revised price list, a complete set of 12 textbooks for Class 9 will cost Rs.485, including English, Social Science, Mathematics, Science, Hindi, and Sanskrit/Urdu. The Class 10 set of 11 textbooks will be available for Rs.474, while students opting for Urdu will pay Rs.482. For Class 11 science stream students, the complete set will cost Rs.458. Similarly, Class 12 science students with Mathematics will receive the full set for Rs.439. Although the UP Board publishes textbooks based on NCERT content, its books are significantly cheaper. For instance, NCERT's Class 12 Physics book costs Rs.310, while the UP Board is offering both physics books for just Rs.110. NCERT's Class 11 Mathematics book is priced at Rs.180, whereas the UP Board version costs Rs.87. Likewise, NCERT's Class 12 Biology and Mathematics books together cost Rs.415, while the UP Board will provide Biology for Rs.73 and both Mathematics books for Rs.100. The initiative is expected to reduce the financial burden on students and ensure timely access to authorised textbooks across the state....