J&K government schools: free textbooks, uniforms for students, says minister

Jammu and Kashmir's Education Minister Shameema Firdous said on Monday, 9 November 2026, that children in the Union Territory's government schools will receive free textbooks and free uniforms, so that they are on an equal footing with students in private schools. Distribution of free textbooks to classes 1 to 8 began in Srinagar. Books for classes 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8 were to be handed out first, while those for classes 3 and 6 will follow once revised titles, prepared in line with the National Education Policy 2020, reach the Board of School Education.

Falling enrolment in government schools is a concern in many parts of India, and Jammu and Kashmir is no exception. Parents who can afford it often move their children to private schools, partly because they see them as better and partly because of the image of free government schooling. When fewer children enrol, government schools lose teachers and resources, which in turn makes them less attractive. Free books and uniforms are one of the simplest tools a government has to break that cycle: they cut the cost of sending a child to school and make government school students look and feel the same as their private school peers.

The cost of books matters to families. Private schools in many places prescribe their own sets of books from private publishers, which can be far more expensive than state board textbooks. By supplying free books in government schools while the issue of costly private book sets is under discussion, the administration is drawing a contrast between the two systems.

The delay for classes 3 and 6 reflects the wider shift to the National Education Policy 2020. Under NEP, textbooks are being revised class by class to follow the new curriculum framework. Where revised titles are not yet ready, students have to wait, and the Board of School Education has to manage two sets of books in the same year.

Peepals timeline: On Monday, 9 November 2026, Education Minister Shameema Firdous announced free textbooks and uniforms for government school students, and distribution of textbooks to classes 1 to 8 began in Srinagar. Books for classes 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8 were to be distributed first. Books for classes 3 and 6 will follow after the revised NEP-aligned titles reach the Board of School Education; no date has been given for that.

Short-term: Families of government school students in classes 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8 save the cost of textbooks for the coming session, and students in classes 3 and 6 will get theirs once the revised books arrive. The promised free uniforms add a further saving.

Long-term: If free books and uniforms make government schools more attractive, enrolment could stabilise or rise, which would help schools keep teachers and facilities. The result will depend on whether supplies arrive on time and whether parents see improvements in teaching as well.

Who is affected: Students in J&K government schools and their parents, teachers and school heads who handle distribution, the Board of School Education, and private schools whose book prices are under scrutiny.

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