‘Over 5 lakh pirated textbooks seized, 29 FIRs registered in last 14 months’

New Delhi: NCERT, with the help of police from various states, has seized more than five lakh copies of pirated textbooks and huge quantities of printing paper and machinery worth more than Rs 20 crore in the last 14 months, an official statement said on Monday.

A record 29 FIRs were registered during the period against warehouse owners and retailers of pirated textbooks, it said.

According to the statement, the NCERT has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards piracy of textbooks, which is a cognizable offence under the Copyright Act, 1957.

“NCERT in the last 14 months, along with the respective police authorities, has seized more than five lakh copies of pirated NCERT textbooks, huge quantity of printing paper and machinery worth more than Rs 20 crore, while registering a record 29 FIRs against printers, warehouse owners, and retailers of pirated NCERT textbooks,” the statement said.

“Continuing its drive against such criminals, NCERT, along with the UP Police, conducted a raid on a warehouse in Muzaffarnagar and seized over 1.5 lakh pirated NCERT textbooks worth over Rs 2 crore, one truck, and two cars loaded with pirated textbooks, as well as a large number of printing plates. Eight accused were arrested on the spot,” it added.

In continuation of this action, a printing press in Samalkha (Haryana) was also raided and a large number of printing plates being used for printing pirated NCERT textbooks, copies of such textbooks, and machinery were seized.

Further investigation is underway to identify the masterminds behind the racket of manufacturing, distributing, and selling pirated NCERT textbooks, the statement said.

“To curb the menace of pirated textbooks, which not only cause revenue loss to NCERT and the government but are also a health hazard for school children on account of the poor paper and ink quality, NCERT is ensuring timely printing of NCERT textbooks and their availability in adequate numbers in the market.

“A technology-based anti-piracy solution developed by IIT Kanpur is being introduced in NCERT textbooks. This solution has been piloted on 10 lakh copies of one title and shall be scaled up to all titles in the next academic year, replacing the old watermarked paper, which has become redundant and is easily copied by pirates,” it added.