NCERT, Delhi Police seize 32,000 fake textbooks in anti-piracy raid in Ghaziabad

The raid was conducted at a printing facility in Village Jawli in the Loni area of Ghaziabad, where large-scale unauthorised printing of NCERT textbooks was allegedly being carried out. Officials recovered counterfeit books spanning multiple classes and subjects.

The Delhi Police Crime Branch said NCERT’s Publication Division provided technical support during the operation to identify and authenticate the pirated material.

In addition to the textbooks, authorities seized two printing machines, aluminium printing plates, paper rolls and printing ink, pointing to an organised and ongoing illegal printing operation.

NCERT officials said the unauthorised printing, distribution or sale of its textbooks is a punishable offence under the law, and such piracy risks students being supplied with inaccurate or poor-quality study material.

The agency has urged students and parents to purchase textbooks only from authorised sellers and to report suspected cases of piracy to NCERT or local law enforcement authorities.

Since 2024, authorities have seized over 4.7 lakh pirated NCERT textbooks across the country as part of a nationwide crackdown. During the 2024–25 period alone, 29 premises involved in the manufacture and sale of counterfeit NCERT books have been raided.

To curb piracy, NCERT has introduced several measures, including a 20 per cent reduction in textbook prices, timely printing and distribution, improved paper and printing quality through modern machinery, and the expansion of online textbook sales via e-commerce platforms.