Over 4.7 Lakh Fake NCERT Books Seized Across India Since 2024: Education Ministry

New Delhi: In a significant crackdown on textbook piracy, the Education Ministry has reported the seizure of over 4.7 lakh fake NCERT books across India since 2024. Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary shared this update in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

Chaudhary noted that cases of NCERT textbook piracy have been reported from various parts of the country, largely driven by the commercial interests of unauthorised players. “Between 2024 and 2025, nearly 4.71 lakh pirated NCERT books have been confiscated in operations conducted across multiple states,” he stated.  

Reiterating NCERT’s commitment to providing high-quality and affordable educational resources, Chaudhary said, “NCERT textbooks are produced on a no-profit, no-loss basis to reach even the last child.”

In the past year alone, NCERT has carried out raids on 29 locations linked to illegal production and distribution of pirated books. These raids also targeted manufacturers producing fake NCERT watermarked paper, leading to the seizure of stocks and printing equipment worth over Rs 20 crore.

To tackle the widespread piracy network, NCERT has implemented several measures, including a 20% reduction in textbook prices, timely printing schedules, better paper and print quality with modern technologies, and expanded availability through e-commerce platforms. The council is also exploring technological solutions to counter piracy.

In collaboration with IIT Kanpur, NCERT tested a patented pilot anti-piracy mechanism on one million copies of a Class 6 textbook, aimed at tracking and preventing the circulation of fake books.

New Class 8 Textbook Omits Tipu Sultan, Anglo-Mysore Wars

Meanwhile, the newly released NCERT Class 8 Social Science textbook, Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), has sparked discussions for omitting figures like Tipu Sultan and Haidar Ali, along with the Anglo-Mysore Wars, from its chapter on India’s colonial period. The textbook covers the period from Vasco da Gama’s arrival in the late 1400s up to the 1800s, including the Battle of Plassey and the 1857 uprising, highlighting how British rule led to the systematic impoverishment of one of the world’s wealthiest lands. The second part of the textbook is expected later this year.

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