Inter textbook prices rise despite syllabus cuts in Telangana

Textbook prices for Telangana’s intermediate first-year students have risen by 14–38 percent despite syllabus cuts, with Physics seeing the steepest hike. While subjects like English, Chemistry, and Maths have become cheaper, Botany and Zoology remain unchanged.

Hyderabad: Despite cuts in the syllabus, some intermediate first-year textbook prices have significantly increased, with a minimum hike of 14 percent and maximum of 38 percent, for the academic year 2026-27. However, the prices of a few textbooks – maths 1A and 1B, chemistry and English have been reduced.

Among all the subjects, Physics recorded the steepest hike, with the textbook price going up from Rs. 273 last year to Rs. 335 now, which is a Rs. 62 hike. Economics, Commerce, Civics, Telugu and Sanskrit textbook prices have also gone up.

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Prices of some textbooks have seen notable reduction. English textbook rate has been reduced from Rs.234 last year to Rs.224 now, Chemistry from Rs. 294 to Rs. 263, Maths 1A from Rs. 304 to Rs. 270 and Maths 1B from Rs. 231 to Rs. 205 now.

However, the prices of Botany and Zoology remained unchanged. This time, an Accountancy subject has been introduced and its textbook has been priced at Rs. 278.

The Telugu Akademi, which has already printed the intermediate textbooks for the academic year 2026-27, has started distributing them to the government junior colleges. Further, it has made textbooks available in various bookstores across the State.

One of the reasons for hike in textbook prices is attributed to the colour pages and paper quality. Unlike in the past, all pages in the textbooks are multi-coloured. In addition, paper thickness has also been increased, making the books durable.

Further, a quick response code has also been embedded on the textbooks that provide access to additional learning material when scanned with a smartphone.

The Telangana Board of Intermediate Education had undertaken a major task of revising the intermediate first-year syllabus, aligning it with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks that are followed by the CBSE schools, for the academic year 2026-27.

The Chemistry syllabus has been reduced by around 30 percent, trimming three chapters, while a few subjects saw a 20 per cent cut in the syllabus. Mostly, topics that are not part of the JEE and NEET-UG have been deleted.