Law enforcement authorities in Uttar Pradesh, along with NCERT, have seized more than five lakh illegally reproduced textbooks worth approximately twenty crore rupees.
Tackling Textbook Theft: NCERT Cracks Down on Piracy
Тhere's a dirty little secret that's been hidden in plain sight across India—the rampant piracy of NCERT textbooks. Established in 1963, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been the driving force behind textbook creation, educator training, and curricula development. Over the past six decades, they've churned out over 220 crore textbooks. But lately, the organization has been battling a formidable foe: unauthorized printers, warehouse owners, and retailers peddling pirated NCERT textbooks [4][5].
The battle against this academic contraband began to heat up when the Ministry of Education reported a whopping 29 FIRs (First Information Reports) against those involved in the illicit trade [4]. The repercussions have been significant. So far, the police have confiscated over 5 lakh pirated NCERT textbooks, machinery, and printing paper worth more than Rs. 20 lakh [4].
One of the most high-profile raids took place in UP, where eight individuals were caught red-handed with over 1.8 lakh pirated NCERT textbooks, valued at over ₹2 crore [4]. The pirate presses didn't stop there; a printing press in Haryana was also busted, with a larger number of printing plates seized [4].
NCERT has elected to take a multi-faceted approach to combat this textbook heist. They've focused on elevating the quality of their paper and printing processes, ensuring timely and adequate delivery of textbooks in the market, and cracking down on anyone involved in printing, distributing, or selling these counterfeit books [4].
Legal action has even been taken against a paper mill in Kashipur that was churning out fake NCERT watermarked paper [4]. To bolster their defenses, NCERT textbooks are now readily available on major e-commerce platforms, where they're sold at their original price with free shipping [4].
In an effort to improve their anti-piracy measures, NCERT has collaborated with IIT Kanpur to develop a tech-based solution. This innovative technology has already been implemented on 1 million copies of a single title and will be introduced across all titles next academic year, replacing the outdated watermark system [4].
Despite these efforts, the mastermind behind the distribution and selling of pirated NCERT textbooks has yet to be identified. It's a game of cat and mouse as NCERT and law enforcement agencies continue their tireless pursuit of those responsible for this academic black market [4]. Stay tuned for more updates on this intriguing saga.
References- [1] National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT): http://ncert.nic.in/- [2] Ministry of Education: https://mhrd.gov.in/- [3] UP Police: http://uppolice.gov.in/- [4] The Hindu: https://www.thehindu.com/education/- [5] The Indian Express: https://indianexpress.com/education/
- In the ongoing battle against textbook piracy, NCERT is not only focusing on improving the quality of their textbooks but also collaborating with IIT Kanpur to develop a tech-based solution to strengthen their anti-piracy measures.
- Besides reporting several FIRs against those involved in the illicit trade, the Ministry of Education has observed the confiscation of over 5 lakh pirated NCERT textbooks, machinery, and printing paper worth more than Rs. 20 lakh, among other significant repercussions.
