Kerala Prints 28 Million Textbooks Ahead of Schedule

Millions of students across Kerala will start their next school year with brand new textbooks in hand, thanks to a printing push that's ahead of schedule and breaking records.

The Kerala Books and Publications Society has already printed 28 million first-volume textbooks for the 2026-27 academic year. That's 80% of what students in Classes I through X need for the first half of the year, and the work is moving faster than expected.

The organization plans to wrap up all first-volume printing by the first week of June. Once that's done, they'll immediately start on the second volume that students need by October.

In total, 55 million textbooks across two volumes need to reach classrooms. It's a massive operation that touches every corner of the state.

Books printed in Tamil, Kannada, and other minority languages are already finished. This ensures that students learning in their mother tongue won't face any delays when school starts.

The printing team hit one small bump with a shortage of paper for cover pages. But they're already working on solutions, and the shortage hasn't slowed down the overall progress.

Distribution is moving just as fast as printing. Books are now reaching district textbook hubs and school societies in the final phase of delivery, expected to finish within a week.

Kudumbashree, the state's community women's network, is helping move books from district centers to individual schools. Their involvement means local communities are directly supporting their children's education.

The Ripple Effect

When textbooks arrive on time, teachers can start lessons without delay and students don't fall behind waiting for materials. Parents don't have to scramble or spend money on temporary solutions.

The early completion also means quality control teams have more time to check books before distribution. Any printing errors can be caught and fixed before they reach students.

By finishing ahead of schedule, Kerala is setting a standard for how state-run publishers can serve students efficiently. The coordination between printers, distributors, and community organizations shows what's possible when everyone focuses on the same goal.

Every child deserves to start the school year with the tools they need to learn, and Kerala is making that happen.