Chennai, May 31 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation has printed 3.8 crore new textbooks for school students in Tamil Nadu for the academic year 2021-22. This exercise was done despite the long holidays and shutdown owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and the state Assembly elections.

The education department has ordered 4.1 crore textbooks, of which 3.8 crore have already been printed and delivered. This means that 91 per cent of the textbooks have been printed and delivered to the designated centres.

The Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation in a statement on Monday said the printing of textbooks for classes 8 to 12 is complete and for other classes a small percentage remains to be printed. However, the Corporation said the printing of books for classes 1 and 2 is pending owing to the lockdown.

The books for classes 1 and 2 will be printed and delivered to the designated centres only after the lockdown in the state is lifted.

An official with the Textbook Corporation told IANS, "As this was an election year, we commenced printing in January itself and moved the printed books to the 120 designated centres across the state in March and April. With no major corrections in the book, the printing work began in advance."

The Textbook Corporation will also deliver books to private schools who have given orders for them but it will happen only after the lockdown is lifted.

P.B. Prince Gajendra Babu, General Secretary, State Platform for Common School System, speaking to IANS said, "The state government should take steps to deliver books to the doorstep of the students for the academic year 2021-22 in view of the pandemic. The government must initiate steps to deliver both textbooks and notebooks to students in government and private schools."

He said the teachers who are above 50 years and have comorbidities must be given posting at the stationary centres without any public contact.