Demand for recovery from responsible officials : Surajya Abhiyan

₹135 crore lost due to failed notebook-pages-in-textbooks scheme 

Mumbai – In an attempt to reduce the burden of schoolbags, the Maharashtra Government’s School Education Department had decided to include notebook pages within textbooks for Classes 2 to 8 starting from the academic year 2023–24. However, this initiative failed to achieve its objective and instead led to a financial loss of ₹135.63 crore to the state exchequer. Within just two years, the government had to reverse the decision.

Raising concerns over this failed experiment, the Surajya Abhiyan—a social initiative of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti—has demanded that the sum be recovered from the officials responsible for the flawed policy. Maharashtra State Coordinator of Surajya Abhiyan, Mr Abhishek Murukate, submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, the Education Minister, and the School Education Secretary in this regard.

Key Points from the Memorandum :

As per the Government Resolution issued on 8 March 2023, notebook pages were inserted into textbooks on the assumption that students in rural areas lacked writing materials. However, the number of pages proved insufficient, and students still had to bring separate notebooks as before. The outcome: not only did the weight of schoolbags increase, but the inclusion of notebook pages also led to increased thickness and cost of textbooks.

The scheme failed both educationally and logistically. The additional costs incurred were ultimately borne by the state government, despite the failure to meet the scheme’s original goals.

Students Bore the Brunt of Bureaucratic Miscalculation

According to Balbharati Director Krushnakumar Patil, the government had to spend ₹72 crore in 2023–24 and ₹63.63 crore in 2024–25, amounting to a total of ₹135.63 crore. In a resolution dated 28 January 2025, the School Education Department admitted that students did not use the extra pages as expected for recording lesson summaries, effectively shifting the blame onto students.

The Surajya Abhiyan noted that if the decision had first been tested on a pilot basis in selected schools, the massive loss to public funds could have been averted. The incident highlights the urgent need for research-backed, pilot-tested decision-making in the education sector.

“The government must recover the ₹135 crore wasted due to this ill-conceived decision from the responsible officials, and ensure greater accountability and transparency in such decisions going forward,” the Surajya Abhiyan stated in its appeal to the authorities.