SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBoSE) has preferred little known booksellers to the reputed ones in selecting new set of textbooks for classes I to X from the next academic session, a section of publishers has alleged.
A handful of Shillong-based booksellers allegedly having little or no history in publication have bagged the largest share of book supply in the contract awarded by MBoSE.
There are also unanswered questions about how the board was able to select the companies within a month from the date of submission of manuscripts.
The board’s decision to revise all textbooks was taken after 10 long years. The last major review was way back in 2007.
The Joint Chief Academic Officer of MBoSE, Meeta W Momin, had issued a notice on October 3 asking all publishers to submit six copies of each manuscript titles to the board for reviewing.
The deadline for the manuscript submission was October 10 and more than 60 publishing companies submitted manuscripts for various books and classes.
Surprisingly, the Executive Chairman of MBoSE and outgoing deputy commissioner of Tura, Pravin Bakshi, announced the list of companies selected to supply textbooks within one month, by November 14.
“How is it humanly possible for MBoSE to select the books of the companies in one month’s time when many publishers had given manuscripts for multiple subjects,” an aggrieved publisher questioned.
Many reputed publishers who had supplied textbooks to MBoSE for years but were overlooked this time have questioned the role of Momin and Bakshi.
Renowned publishing houses like Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Orient Blackswan (previously Orient Longman), Macmillan Publishers and Allied Publishers have been overlooked.
Oxford, Cambridge and Macmillian with over 125 years of service had provided their manuscripts for English beginning from Class 1 onwards but did not make it to the final list.
Oxford English textbooks have been chosen for Classes IX and X. Cambridge computer science books have been chosen for the two senior most classes. As for Macmillan publishers, it has been selected for Value Education (Moral Science) classes I to VIII and Rapid Readers book.
English textbooks for classes I to IV will be supplied by Student Publications, a Shillong-based bookseller, which has a shop in Bara Bazar called Student Book Stall. It has also got the contract to supply SUPW books from classes I to IV. The same owner operating from another company called Children’s Publication bagged the Table Book for mathematics for classes I to IV.
Both the companies owned by one individual from Shillong have been awarded the largest share of 16 titles.
Another bookstore from Shillong, M/S Meghalaya Book Stall in Mawkhar, has been awarded the contract for mathematics textbooks and work book for classes I to IV. It has secured a total of eight books, including a course book.
The same family that owns Meghalaya Book Stall will supply science textbooks for classes VII and VIII under the name of Anshu Publications from Bara Bazar.
In the junior section from classes I to IV, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) schools in the state will be the biggest purchasers of textbooks. As the highest number of students is in the junior section, the competition for books is more at the primary and the upper primary levels.
What has puzzled educationists and well-known publishing companies is under what criteria MBoSE has selected the books.
Although MBoSE did make it mandatory for publishers to provide the names and details of the authors and the editorial board, yet it allegedly overlooked the fact that some of these selected publishers did not have any established editorial board office which was essential for companies that prepare, review and edit English textbooks.
“Giving names of authors and editorial team is very easy. But, where is the office from where the company operates? There has to be an established set up, not a fly by night operator. The board is playing with the fate of an entire generation of young children if books are compromised on the quality,” lamented a publisher from a reputed firm having pan India presence which also lost out in the books selection to a local bidder.
There are allegations that Student Publications does not have any editorial board or office and had instead got hold of a lady resource person who undertook English course trainings on behalf of Macmillan to prepare the book.
Even a company like Madhuban Educational Books, which usually do not figure in selection of English books, have been awarded the contract for Second Language English in classes V to VII.
MBoSE also stands accused of breaking its own rules when it came to Expression of Interest. The board’s rules had stated that companies vying for textbook supply order must be at least five years and above.
MBoSE has been accused by some publishers of violating its own rules by selecting a Noida-based company called Turtle Books Pvt Ltd, which bagged the contract for supplying Environmental Studies books for Class III. Turtle is a company that is less than three years old.
The top MBoSE functionaries were not available for comments.
