In a move to make textbooks more affordable and accessible, Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) on Tuesday launched ‘Pustak Portal’, an online platform for direct purchase and delivery of authentic PSEB textbooks.
The initiative is expected to benefit over 12 lakh students across the state by providing books at a flat 15 per cent discount, resulting in an estimated annual saving of nearly Rs 2.15 crore for students and parents.
Dr Amarpal Singh, Chairman, PSEB, described the portal as a landmark step, stating that Punjab has become the first education board in the country to launch a dedicated e-commerce platform for the sale and delivery of textbooks.
“Students, parents and schools can now place orders directly through the portal,” Dr Singh said. Schools will only facilitate distribution and will not be allowed to charge anything above the prescribed PSEB rates, thereby eliminating the scope of overcharging by private booksellers.
PSEB has printed 2.25 crore books covering 361 textbook titles in Punjabi, English and Hindi mediums. To ensure smooth access, the board has set up 97 delivery/pick-up centres across Punjab. Books collected from these centres will be available at the discounted rate without any additional charges. Walk-in purchases can also be made from the district offices of PSEB.
For home delivery, PSEB has tied up with India Post under “Gyan Post Scheme” with specially discounted rates. Delivery charges will range from Rs 20 to a maximum of Rs 100 for consignments up to 5 kg.
The board clarified that government school students will continue to receive textbooks free of cost as per the state government’s policy, with books for the 2026-27 academic session already being delivered directly to schools.
The portal is aimed at ensuring timely availability of genuine textbooks, bringing transparency in distribution and providing greater convenience to students and parents.
