- Seizure of over 4.7 lakh pirated NCERT textbooks reported across India since 2024
- Piracy driven by commercial motives with 29 premises raided and Rs 20 crore stock seized
- NCERT reduced textbook prices by 20% and improved quality to combat piracy
The Union Education Ministry has seized over 4.7 lakh pirated NCERT textbooks across India since 2024, in a widespread crackdown on textbook piracy. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, July 24, Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary said piracy cases had been reported from multiple parts of the country.
"During the years 2024 and 2025, approximately 4.71 lakh pirated copies of NCERT textbooks have been seized in various operations across different states. Piracy is driven primarily by commercial motives of unscrupulous elements," he said.
The scale of the operation underscores the challenge of ensuring genuine and affordable educational material reaches students nationwide.
The minister underlined that the primary objective of NCERT is to provide quality textbooks at a very affordable price to the last student across the country, "on a no-profit and no-loss basis".
To clamp down on the illicit printing and distribution network, NCERT has intensified enforcement action. Chaudhary informed the Upper House that in the last one year, a total of 29 premises linked to the manufacture and sale of pirated NCERT textbooks have been raided. These included locations involved in printing pirated books, producing counterfeit NCERT watermarked paper, and supplying illegal material. Stock and machinery worth over Rs 20 crore have been confiscated during these operations.
The NCERT has also implemented a series of proactive measures. "Including a 20 per cent price reduction of NCERT textbooks, timely printing of NCERT textbooks, improved quality of paper and printing (using modern machines), promotion of online sale of textbooks through e-commerce platforms," said Chaudhary.
Additionally, NCERT is encouraging online sales through e-commerce platforms to ensure students have easy and secure access to authentic books. A tech-driven anti-piracy pilot initiative has also been launched to strengthen safeguards against duplication.
"NCERT has conducted a pilot trial of a technology-based anti-piracy solution on one million copies of a grade 6 textbook," Chaudhary said. "This tech-based solution has been developed and patented by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur."
The Education Ministry's response signals a clear intent to tackle textbook piracy through both enforcement and innovation. As the academic year progresses, authorities hope that these steps will not only deter counterfeiters but also ensure students receive the quality educational resources they are entitled to.
