NCERT, Delhi Police Bust Major Textbook Piracy Racket, Seize 32,000 Fake Books in Ghaziabad
NCERT and Delhi Police Crime Branch seize 32,000 fake textbooks in Ghaziabad during a major anti-piracy raid to protect students from counterfeit study material.
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In a major crackdown on textbook piracy, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), in coordination with the Delhi Police Crime Branch, has seized around 32,000 counterfeit NCERT textbooks from a printing unit in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
The joint operation was carried out at a printing facility located in Village Jawli, Loni, where officials uncovered large-scale unauthorised printing and distribution of NCERT books. The raid was conducted by the Delhi Police Crime Branch with technical support from NCERT’s Publication Division, which helped identify and authenticate the pirated material.
During the operation, authorities recovered not only thousands of fake textbooks covering multiple classes and subjects but also two printing machines, aluminium printing plates, paper rolls, and printing ink, pointing to an organised and ongoing piracy network.
NCERT officials reiterated that the unauthorised printing, sale, or distribution of NCERT textbooks is a punishable offence under law. The agency said such operations are essential to ensure that students receive accurate, high-quality, and affordable educational material, and are not misled by substandard or incorrect content.
NCERT has urged students, parents, and schools to purchase textbooks only from authorised sellers and to immediately report any suspected cases of piracy to NCERT or local law enforcement agencies.
Crackdown Since 2024
According to official data, since 2024, authorities across the country have seized over 4.7 lakh pirated NCERT textbooks as part of a nationwide anti-piracy drive. During the 2024–25 period, a total of 29 locations involved in the illegal production and sale of counterfeit NCERT books were raided.
Steps to Prevent Piracy
To tackle textbook piracy more effectively, NCERT has rolled out several preventive measures. These include a 20% reduction in textbook prices, timely printing and nationwide distribution, improved paper and print quality using modern technology, and the expansion of online textbook sales through authorised e-commerce platforms.
