The High Court in Rajbiraj has issued an interim order preventing Siraha Municipality from enforcing its directive that mandates schools use textbooks from specific publishers.

The order, issued on Sunday by a division bench of justices Sarala Kumari Pandey and Madhav Dhital, temporarily suspends the municipality’s March 31 decision and April 2 circular.

These had required all schools within the municipality to use textbooks from designated publishers—Takshashila, Janak Education Materials Centre, Times, Vedanta, Vidyarthi, and Readmore—for core subjects such as Nepali, English, compulsory mathematics, science and technology, and social studies.

The municipality had also warned schools of punitive action for non-compliance.

However, Rule 6(a) of the Education Regulation 2002 allows schools to use textbooks approved by the Government of Nepal, without being restricted to a specific publication.

In response to the municipality’s directive, Bharat Kumar Yadav, representing PABSON Siraha, filed a writ petition challenging its legality and seeking an injunction.

The court’s interim order will remain in effect until a final verdict is issued on the case.