J&K private school book prices: order soon on Rs 10,000 sets

Jammu and Kashmir's Education Minister Shameema Firdous said on Monday, 9 November 2026 that the government will "very soon" pass an order on the high prices of textbook sets sold by private schools, which she said run to Rs 6,000, Rs 7,000 and even Rs 10,000. Speaking after handing out free textbooks at a government school in Srinagar, she said students in government schools will get free textbooks and uniforms so that they can compete on equal terms with children in private schools.

For many families in Jammu and Kashmir, as in the rest of India, the cost of schooling does not stop at fees. Private schools often require parents to buy a full set of books, notebooks and other material, sometimes from a particular publisher or shop, at the start of each session. When a set costs Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000 per child, a family with two or three children in school can face a bill of tens of thousands of rupees in one go, on top of fees and uniforms.

The minister's remarks point to two linked moves. The first is to make government schools more attractive by covering the cost of books and uniforms, so that parents who choose them do not have to pay for these items. The second is to look at what private schools charge for books, which affects a large number of families who send their children to private schools. The details of the J&K order will decide whether it caps prices, limits the number of books, or controls where parents must buy them.

For parents in Jammu and Kashmir, the practical point is to watch for the official order from the School Education Department, which will set out the rules and from when they apply. Until it is issued, existing arrangements continue.

Peepals calculation: A Rs 10,000 book set costs about 67% more than a Rs 6,000 set (10,000 ÷ 6,000 ≈ 1.67). For a family with two children in schools charging the highest figure the minister mentioned, books alone would cost Rs 20,000 a year (10,000 × 2). Our calculation from the reported figures.

Short-term: Government school students receive free textbooks under the current distribution, and uniforms are to follow, according to the minister. Private schools and publishers await the government's order on book prices.

Long-term: If government schools offer free books and uniforms and private book prices are controlled, the cost gap between the two kinds of schools could narrow. Whether more children move to government schools will also depend on teaching quality and facilities.

Who is affected: Parents and students in government and private schools across Jammu and Kashmir, private school managements, publishers and book sellers, and the School Education Department.

What to watch next: The order on private school book prices that the minister said will be passed very soon; no date has been given.

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