In 2023, the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) published a new textbook series for English called Mridang. The book for grade 1 teaches students simplified print-style letterforms, and no cursive writing instruction is included in grade 1 or 2. While the book acknowledges the graphic designers, illustrators and artists involved in its development, no information is provided about the source of the letterform samples.
The model is represented by a combination of sans serif typefaces, a neo-grotesque for uppercase, and a geometric design for the lowercase, though the latter is horizontally compressed in some instances. The letters are upright and unjoined, and students learn to write between four equidistant guidelines, making the x-height of letters equal to their extender height.
