He said books will be available at maximum rate price (MRP) across nearly 20,000 pin codes nationwide. “The initiative will strengthen National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s vision of making education inclusive, accessible, and affordable,” he added.The minister said the initiative will also help increase the digital footprint across the country and support the government’s vision of ‘ease of living.’He said that NCERT has been shaping India’s education landscape by publishing textbooks since 1963, with around 220 crore books and journals.Emphasising that NCERT is a prominent think tank for the country, Pradhan said it has been entrusted with developing 21st-century textbooks.Stressing the importance of making learning joyful for the 300 million students of the Amrit Kaal, he urged the development of e-books that are interactive and AI-driven, featuring innovations like talking books.Highlighting the significance of textbooks in education, Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) Sanjay Kumar emphasised the need to strengthen the supply chain for these essential resources.He said that textbooks, which account for nearly 96% of the total volume of book sales in the country, should be made available through e-commerce platforms like Amazon to enhance student accessibility.NCERT textbooks of all grades shall be available on the Amazon NCERT storefront (http://amazon.in/ncert).The textbooks shall be retailed at a price not more than the rate printed on the textbooks.Only original NCERT textbooks shall be retailed on this platform, helping curb pirated NCERT textbooks’ sales.According to a statement issued by the education ministry, Amazon will help NCERT monitor and take down unauthorised sellers who distribute counterfeit or overpriced books.Through Amazon’s vast delivery network, students and schools, even in the most remote areas, can purchase textbooks at the prescribed prices. “This would address the challenges of supply gaps, delayed availability, and regional shortages of textbooks, ensuring equitable access to education,” the statement added.This tie-up shall also enable NCERT to leverage customer reviews and feedback to improve the quality of its textbooks and other educational material.Moreover, anonymised sales and usage data will be shared with NCERT to facilitate informed decision-making regarding future print orders, distribution strategies, and selection of new distributors in states/districts with higher demand for NCERT textbooks.At the event, NCERT Director, Prof. Dinesh Prasad Saklani; Vice President, Amazon, Saurabh Shrivastava; Director, Public Policy, Amazon, Aman Jain, and others were present.
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