History

The State Education Ministry, now called the Human Resource Development Ministry had appointed an Education Commission in July, 1964. This was headed by Dr. G. S. Kothari and was known as "Kothari Commission”. The prime objective of this Commission was to give a report on the education system of the country post independence. The Commission (1964-66) observed that the regional languages in different states were already been widely accepted as the medium of instruction in primary and secondary level. And students in school level are having their education in their mother-tongues in most of the states. However, for tertiary level i.e. at College/University level, situation was not the same. The Commission opined that for the development of regional languages and also for imparting education in proper sense of term as well, introduction of teaching and learning in College/University level through regional languages was the desideratum. So, on the recommendation of the Commission, in June 1966, the right to be educated in regional languages at College/ University level was established.

Pursuant to the above recommendation it was decided that books (both text and reference) should be published in different subjects at college/university level in respective regional languages in different states of India so that the medium switch-over programme could be implemented at the tertiary level. Hence, different State Book Boards, backed by both State and Central Government, were established in different states of India, with a view to implementing the programme of switching-over to regional languages as medium of instruction at higher education level.

Keeping in harmony with this national programme, West Bengal State Book Board was formed as a Registered Society under the Registration of Societies Act in the year 1970, for the production and publication of text books in Bengali at undergraduate/post-graduate level. Its original name was 'West Bengal State Foundation for Text Book Production' but later it was renamed as WEST BENGAL STATE BOOK BOARD and also in Bengali terms as "Paschimbanga Rajya Pustak Parsad"..