NCERT's Battle Against Pirated Textbooks
A major raid in Muzaffarnagar by NCERT and the Uttar Pradesh police uncovered 1.5 lakh pirated books.
By : DC Web Desk
Update: 2025-06-03 11:25 GMT
In India, where millions of students rely on NCERT textbooks, a silent battle is being fought in warehouses, printing shops, and illegal backstreets. Over the past 14 months, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), with police support, has seized over 5 lakh pirated textbooks, printing tools, and paper worth Rs 20 crore. This piracy racket undermines education and poses health risks to students due to toxic ink and cheap paper.
A major raid in Muzaffarnagar by NCERT and Uttar Pradesh police uncovered 1.5 lakh pirated books valued at Rs 2 crore, leading to eight arrests and the seizure of trucks carrying fake stock. Days later, in Haryana’s Samalkha, police found printing plates, counterfeit books, and machinery. Investigations now target the masterminds of this shadow network. Each pirated book threatens the education system’s integrity and diverts funds from libraries, scholarships, and teacher training.
To combat this, NCERT is adopting a new verification system developed by IIT Kanpur, pilot-tested on 10 lakh books to replace easily forged watermarked paper. The goal is to make NCERT books uniquely identifiable and unforgeable. NCERT has also strengthened its supply chain, improved print quality, and partnered with e-commerce platforms to deliver books at MRP with free delivery. This fight protects students’ trust in textbooks, teachers’ faith in the system, and parents’ belief in education’s promise.
In a world where affordable books are often counterfeit, NCERT’s crackdown is an ethical stand to ensure Indian education remains untainted. As the new school year begins, every genuine textbook carries the assurance of safe, reliable knowledge.
Written by Katravath Rahul, University of Hyderabad, Intern.