- Parliamentary panel flags gap between curriculum design and textbook availability for classes 9-12
- Non-availability of textbooks and new exam patterns cause stress for Class 10 and 12 students
- Panel urges fast-track development and distribution of textbooks and nationwide teacher training
A parliamentary panel has flagged a significant gap between curriculum designing and implementation for classes 9 to 12, saying the non-availability of textbooks and application-based Board examination patterns are creating academic stress and confusion among students, especially those appearing for classes 10 and 12 examinations.
The observations are part of the Tenth Report (Eighteenth Lok Sabha) of the Committee on Estimates (2026-27) on 'Budget and Policy Aspects for Providing Affordable and Quality Education in the Country including Review of CBSE', presented to Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The committee observed that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has onboarded the curriculum framework for Grades 9 to 12 with the goals of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023.
The panel, however, noted that significant gap exists between curriculum designing and implementation as NCERT is still in the process of rolling out new textbooks for classes 9 to 12, due to which schools are frequently required to teach an updated, high-order curriculum with the availability of older study materials.
"The non-availability of textbooks and newer, application-based Board examination patterns are creating significant academic stress and confusion for students especially for the students appearing for the Class 10 and 12 examinations," the committee said.
The committee urged the Education Ministry to take immediate steps to resolve this transition gap to fast-track the development, printing, and nationwide distribution of the remaining new textbooks for all the grades.
It also urged the NCERT to work in tandem with the CBSE to make new initiatives successful.
The committee recommended the launch of a nationwide teacher-capacity building programme to train educators on application-based pedagogy.
On teacher capacity building and training framework under the CBSE, the panel noted that the CBSE conducts capacity building programmes (CBPs) nationwide to support teachers' development. All teachers and principals are required to complete a minimum of 50 hours training per year covering core values and ethics, subject knowledge, teaching practices, etc.
It appreciated the CBSE for training over 11 million participants through both online and offline modes over the past five years, and for providing this training completely free of cost to government school teachers.
The committee, however, noted with concern that there has been a drastic drop in online training of teachers from over 5.3 million teachers in 2022 to just around 162,814 in 2025.
Further, while government teachers get free training, private affiliated schools in rural and difficult areas have to pay a general training fee plus an extra Rs 700 per teacher for single-day workshops.
"The Committee are of the view that some of the non-government schools in rural or semi-urban areas do not have enough budgetary resources to send their teachers on paid trainings," the report said.
The committee recommended that the ministry maintain a continuum in teacher's capacity building programmes and should set year-wise targets for teachers training to be completed in the set timeframe.
It also recommended the ministry to review the fee to be submitted for teacher's training so that teachers from budget-constrained private schools, especially from rural areas can participate in the online training programme.
On transparency in digital infrastructure, the panel noted that there is a sharp decline in the number of student enrolments in secondary and higher secondary classes.
During 2024, 22,51,812 students registered for Class 10 exam and only 16,33,730 students registered for Class 12 exam. In 2025, 23,85,079 students registered for Class 10 exam and 17,04,367 students registered for Class 12 exam, the panel said.
The committee noted that the CBSE exempts visually impaired candidates from exam fees, however it maintains a rigid, uniform fee structure for all other students, which is Rs 1,600 per candidate for five subjects for students appearing in India.
The CBSE does not provide financial concessions or fee waivers for socio-economically disadvantaged sections of society, it noted.
The committee also recommended the ministry to introduce targeted fee waivers/exemptions for economically weaker sections and socially disadvantaged groups "in order to lessen the financial burden and give them opportunity to continue their education".
It also recommended that the ministry take appropriate measures to increase transparency in CBSE answer-sheet checking procedure by publishing standardised, objective evaluation.
The Board's digital infrastructure under Pariksha Sangam may be continually upgraded to ensure "foolproof security and efficiency", not only for Board exams but also for major national selection tests like Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Selection Test (JNVST), it said.
On increasing public expenditure on education sector, the committee noted that one of the primary objectives of the NEP 2020 is to increase public expenditure on education to 6 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product.
The panel, however, noted that the current combined spending by the Centre and states stands at only 4.1 per cent of the GDP, reflecting a persistent shortfall as NEP 2020 reaches its final year of implementation.
The Union Budget 2026-27 provided an allocation of Rs 1,39,286 crore to the Ministry of Education, which represents an 8.27 per cent increase over the previous year.
The committee further noted that the budget share of the total budgetary allocation for the Department of School Education and Literacy during the year 2024-25 was only 1.52 per cent out of 4.1 per cent of the GDP on education sector.
According to the report, the panel feels that education forms the foundation for national growth, development, and the creation of a vast pool of literate and educated citizens is essential for the growth of the nation.
The committee, therefore, desired that the budgetary allocation should be adequate to meet the multi-layered challenges of expanding infrastructure, improving educational outcomes, and strengthening the overall quality of Indian education.
It strongly recommended the ministry to establish a dedicated, time-bound financial roadmap that requires both the Centre and the states to scale up their educational spending.
"To bridge the GDP gap, the Ministry should move away from marginal incremental budgeting and ensure a mandatory annual baseline increase of 10% in the education budget to gradually converge with the 6% GDP target," it said.
As the second phase of the NEP enters the pipeline, the committee further recommended the creation of a specialised, non-lapsable education fund to secure long-term infrastructure creation, digital expansion and inclusive education across consecutive fiscal years without the risk of budget expiration.