NCERT Textbook Piracy Crackdown: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), in coordination with the Delhi Police Crime Branch, has seized around 32,000 fake textbooks during a major anti-piracy raid in Ghaziabad. The unauthorised printing, distribution, or sale of NCERT books is punishable by law, and through this operation, the authorities aim to ensure that students do not receive substandard or incorrect study material.
The Delhi Police Crime Branch, along with NCERT's Publication Division, conducted a raid at a printing facility in Village Jawli, Loni, Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh). During the operation, officials seized over 30,000 pirated textbooks covering various classes and subjects. NCERT's Publication Division provided technical assistance to identify and verify the counterfeit material.
In addition to the books, the police recovered two printing machines, aluminium printing plates, paper rolls and printing ink, indicating large-scale unauthorised printing activity.
NCERT has advised students and parents to purchase textbooks only from authorised sellers and to report any suspected cases of piracy to NCERT or local authorities.
How Many Books Have Been Seized Since 2024?
Since 2024, the government has seized more than 4.7 lakh pirated NCERT textbooks across India to ensure that genuine and affordable educational material reaches students nationwide.
During the 2024-25 period, a total of 29 premises involved in the manufacture and sale of pirated NCERT textbooks were raided.
To curb textbook piracy, NCERT has implemented several proactive measures, including a 20 per cent reduction in textbook prices, timely printing and distribution, improved paper and printing quality using modern machines, and the promotion of online textbook sales through e-commerce platforms.