The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) has launched the PSEB Pustak Portal, an e-commerce platform that allows students, parents and schools to order PSEB-written and printed textbooks online. The initiative aims to improve access to authentic textbooks, make learning materials more accessible and prevent overcharging by private booksellers.According to PSEB, more than 12 lakh students across Punjab are expected to benefit from the portal. The textbooks will be available at a flat discount of 15%, leading to an estimated annual savings of nearly Rs 2.15 crore for students and parents. PSEB President Dr. Amarpal Singh, Retd. IAS, said the board is the first education board in the country to introduce an e-commerce portal for the sale and delivery of textbooks.Direct ordering system for students and schoolsStudents, parents and schools can place orders directly through the portal. Schools will facilitate the distribution of books but will not collect any amount beyond the rates prescribed by PSEB. The agreement is intended to ensure that textbooks are provided at uniform prices and to remove the possibility of excessive charges by private bookstores.The board has printed 2.25 crore copies covering 361 titles of textbooks in Punjabi, English and Hindi for distribution through the new system.Multiple pickup and delivery optionsTo improve accessibility, PSEB has established 97 delivery and collection centers in Punjab. Books collected from these centers incur no additional charges. Students can also visit PSEB district offices to buy textbooks directly and get the same 15% discount.For home delivery, PSEB has partnered with India Post in the Gyan Post scheme for school students. Shipping charges have been fixed at concessional rates, ranging from Rs 20 to a maximum of Rs 100 for shipments weighing up to 5 kg.Government school students to continue receiving free booksGovernment school students continue to receive textbooks free of cost from the state government. For the academic session 2026-27, the books have already been delivered to government schools.PSEB stated that the new portal is designed to ensure timely delivery of genuine textbooks, improve transparency in the distribution process and provide greater convenience to students and parents across Punjab, while making official learning material easier to obtain through online and offline channels.
