Kolkata: With less than three months to go for the Higher Secondary Semester IV examinations scheduled in February 2026, many schools across Bengal are still struggling to finalise booklists for Class XII Semester IV, leaving students unsure about which textbooks to purchase.
Despite the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) having allotted textbook numbers (TB numbers) to private publishers, several institutions said they had not yet received specimen copies — essential for preparing booklists.
“Usually, we receive specimen copies from publishers, select books for each subject, and then issue a booklist so that students can purchase them,” said Sanjay Barua, headmaster of Narain Dass Bangur Memorial Multipurpose School. “This year, the process got delayed as schools closed soon after the Semester III exams because of heavy rain and the Puja break. We hope to get the books now that schools have reopened.”
The HS Semester III examinations were held from September 8 to 22, followed by an early Puja vacation from September 24. Schools reopened on Saturday, but regular classes are expected to resume after Chhath Puja next week.
WBCHSE president Chiranjib Bhattacharya maintained that the Council had completed its responsibilities on time. “Books should already be available in the market. If not, schools can collect them directly from our book mart,” he said.
Under the existing system, Class XI and XII students receive government-printed textbooks free of cost for compulsory language subjects such as Bengali and English. However, textbooks for optional and elective subjects are brought out by private publishers, who send sample copies to schools after obtaining TB numbers from the Council.
A senior official of a Kolkata-based publishing house said the printing process had been slower this year. “Obtaining TB numbers took longer than usual, which delayed printing. But books were dispatched to markets and schools by late September,” the official said.
Heads of several institutions said they expected the situation to normalise soon.
“Our school reopened on Saturday and will function fully from Tuesday. We expect publishers to visit with the books after that. Once teachers review them, we will finalise the books. By early November, everything should be in place,” said Patha Pratim Baidya, headmaster of Jadavpur Vidyapith.