Latest news with #TamilNaduTextbookandEducationalServicesCorporation
New Indian Express
16-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Texts on time promise elude visually impaired students in Tamil Nadu
The state government currently operates three higher secondary schools, three middle schools, and four primary schools for the visually impaired under the Department for the Welfare of Differently Abled Persons. According to teachers in these schools, Braille textbooks are frequently delayed by several months. 'We breathe a sigh of relief if the textbooks arrive before the end of the term, which is rare. So, we preserve textbooks from previous batches and hand them over to new students,' said a teacher at a government higher secondary school, on condition of anonymity. While the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation is the nodal agency for textbook distribution in the state, Braille textbooks are printed by the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD) and distributed to the schools free of cost. 'When we ask for textbooks, they say there is a delay due to issues like paper shortages. The state once had a Braille press, but it was shut down. Reviving it could ensure timely supply of books for our students,' the teacher added. Another persistent issue is the lack of mathematics textbooks. 'I have been teaching for over 15 years and have never seen a Braille mathematics and science textbook beyond Class III. It has also stopped now. Higher secondary schools don't offer maths groups in Classes XI and XII, but even students till Class X don't have access to proper maths books. Schools run by NGOs provide Braille mathematics books and even maps to their students, while government schools are deprived of them,' said another teacher. Visually impaired teachers working in government schools also face similar challenges. 'Whenever the syllabus changes, we have to buy new Braille books, spending money out of our own pocket. I teach Tamil and the syllabus was reduced this academic year. I have to spend around `1,500 per book to get the new Braille textbooks as they cost about `4 per page,' he added. Meanwhile, sources at NIEPVD said they begin printing as soon as they receive textbook requests from government schools. The schools can expect to receive books within a few days, they said. On the lack of mathematics and science textbooks, they admitted that producing them using Nemeth code (the standard for Braille mathematics) has challenges and they are working on it. Officials also added that their new initiative to provide textbooks in more readable formats for students with low vision has not yet received proper response from all the schools.
The Hindu
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Reading station: Chennai Central Metro now has a ‘book park'
On the way to the ticket counter at Chennai's bustling Central metro station, you can see a cosy 'book park' that promises to offer serendipity. Nestled between a pharmacy and an eatery, the 5,000 Chennai Book Park features a chequered grey and blue carpet, glass walls, and is fully air-conditioned. A joint initiative of the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation and Chennai Metro Rail Limited, the facility has been built at a cost of ₹1.85 crore. Featuring over a dozen publishers — Katha Books, Vitasta, and Kalachuvadu Publications, to name a few — the facility has more than 10,000 titles in English and Tamil, including mainstream bestsellers from Higginbotham's. What catches the eye is the sea of books for children, ranging from illustrated works to books for learning. 'Tamil Nadu is the first state in India to have a book store inside a metro station. The main objective here is to promote reading,' says Sankara Saravanan, Joint Director, Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation. The initiative will look to cash in on the large number of passengers — around 20,000 a day as of March 2024 — who pass through Central Metro, and will hopefully serve as a model for similar enterprises across the country. 'I was surprised to come across this store during my commute. I find the collection interesting and it's a great opportunity to buy books for my children,' said Jayamani, a mother of two. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., the facility also has a cafeteria and a mini hall for book-related events.
New Indian Express
11-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
CM Stalin opens mega book park at Chennai Central Metro station
CHENNAI: As part of the efforts to bring books closer to the public, CM M K Stalin on Tuesday inaugurated a mega book park set up by Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation (TNTB&ESC) at a cost of Rs 1.85 crore at the Chennai Central Metro station. To encourage early footfall and purchases, books other than school textbooks are also being sold at 10% discount at present. Spread across 5,000 sqft, the book park features stalls by publishers in multiple languages, a cafeteria, a reading area, and a mini hall to host book release events. Designed to accommodate about 10 readers at a time, the park will house 5,000 titles and 15,000 books. The TNTB&ESC will pay the rent for the space to the Chennai Metro Rail Limited, while the private publishers who have stalls will share their revenue with the corporation, said T Sankara Saravanan, joint director of Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation. Officials said the Central Metro Station was chosen as it has high footfall, and TNTB&ESC will decide on establishing more such book parks. This initiative is part of the efforts by the school education department to improve the reading habit among the general public. The book park will offer a wide range of publications, including Tamil, English and other language books from various publishers; almost all the books published by TNTB&ESC. The CM also launched the corporation's new website for online book sales and released 84 books published under various government schemes. The revamped website, will allow the corporation to sell books not only in Tamil Nadu but also across India and internationally, said officials.
The Hindu
10-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin launches Chennai Book Park in Central Metro station
Booklovers of all ages, students, and job aspirants in and around Chennai now have yet another destination to explore in the city, as Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday inaugurated the 'Chennai Book Park' set up at the Central Metro station's concourse at a cost of ₹1.85 crore. The book park has in its collection works published by KSL Media Limited, Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation, Kalachuvadu Publications Private Limited, Ahaguru Education Technology Private Limited, among others. From T.V. Sadasiva Pandarathar's Tamil Ilakkiya Varalaru to P. Vimala's Enadhu Aangal, booklovers have a wide variety to choose from. 'The Chennai Book Park has about 15,000 books. One can buy books published by the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation. We also have books from 14 publishers/retailers under the same roof,' said P. Shankar, Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation and Director of Public Libraries. Central Metro station was chosen as the location for the first book park in Chennai due to its connectivity and high footfall, he said. Based on the reception of the station's book park, others will be opened at places such as the Alandur Metro station, Mr. Shankar said. The completely air-conditioned 'Chennai Book Park' also has an event space for new book releases and a cafeteria. During the event, Mr. Stalin also released new titles published by the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation. He also launched which aims to enable those in other States and abroad to buy books published by the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation. He also virtually inaugurated new buildings for libraries across the State. Ministers P.K. Sekarbabu and Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi; Chennai Mayor R. Priya; Egmore MLA I. Paranthamen, and senior officials were present.
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Chennai Central metro's book park set open this month
Chennai Central metro's book park set open this month CHENNAI: Chennai Central metro station's upcoming 5,000sqft book park may have been delayed, but it's already shaping up to be the city's next literary landmark. Originally scheduled for inauguration in April by chief minister M K Stalin, the facility is now expected to open to the public in June. With checkered blue-and-grey carpeting, glass walls, cozy reading nooks, and a flat 10% discount on all titles, the space is designed to be a reader's haven in the heart of the city's busiest transit hub. The 5,000sqft area inside the Chennai Central Metro will house 70 bookshelves, a mini event hall, reading tables with comfortable seating, and a cafeteria. "There is sufficient space and 3 lakh people passing through Chennai Central Metro every day. A large book park is being developed there to promote reading habit," said an official from Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation. The library will stock between 8,000 and 10,000 books, spanning a vast range of subjects including dictionaries, politics, literature, education, science, agriculture, medicine, economics, history, books on archaeology, children's literature, stories, and poetry. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Warren Buffett Says These 5 Books Are a Must-Read for 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Books will be available in Tamil, English, Telugu, and other Indian languages, alongside translated works from global literature. The library will operate daily from 9am to 9pm. "Various amenities are being provided for the public, including Wi-Fi, a cafeteria, a small venue for book launches, and a hall that can accommodate up to 80 people for literary events. All books will be available for purchase in one place, creating an space where publishers and readers can meet," the official added. Operated by Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation under a revenue-sharing model, the Chennai Central book park may also serve as a prototype for similar hubs elsewhere in the state. "Depending on the response from commuters and the public, we may think of replicatingf this concept at other locations," said P Shankar, director, public library.
