NCERT Pirated Textbooks: National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), responsible for textbook preparation, teacher training and curriculum development has published over 220 crore textbooks since their establishment in 1963. Recently, NCERT has noticed widespread piracy of its textbooks across India and has started to take proactive measures against those responsible.
A recorded 29 FIRs were filed against several printers, warehouse owners, and retailers of pirated NCERT textbooks. As per the notification issued by the Ministry of Education, more than 5 lakh pirated NCERT textbooks, machinery and printing paper worth over Rs. 20 lakh has been seized by the police authorities.
Recently, NCERT collaborated with the UP Police to curb textbook piracy and arrested eight individuals on the spot. The accused were found in possession of over 1.8 lakh pirated NCERT textbooks, valued at more than ₹2 crore.
A printing press in Haryana was also raided and a larger number of printing plates were seized.
NCERT has taken various measures to curb the menace of pirated textbooks and to reduce the loss caused.
1. NCERT has focused on improvement the quality of paper and printing of NCERT textbooks.
2. NCERT is making sure that textbooks are printed on time and available in sufficient quantities in the market.
3. Strict action is being taken against those involved in printing, distributing, or selling pirated NCERT books.
4. Legal steps have been taken against a paper mill in Kashipur that was producing fake NCERT watermarked paper.
5. NCERT textbooks are now also available on major e-commerce platforms, sold at MRP with no delivery charges.
6. A new tech-based anti-piracy solution, developed by IIT Kanpur, has been introduced in NCERT textbooks. It has already been tested on 1 million copies of one title, and will be rolled out across all titles next academic year, replacing the old watermark system that is now outdated and easily duplicated.
Further investigation by NCERT and the police authorities is still underway to identify who is the mastermind behind these distribution and selling of pirated NCERT textbook.