Overview

• Over the past 14 months, NCERT and state police have seized more than 5 lakh pirated textbooks and filed 29 FIRs under the Copyright Act
• Recent joint raids in Muzaffarnagar and Samalkha led to the confiscation of over 1.5 lakh fake NCERT copies, printing machinery, plates, a truck and two cars, and eight arrests
• NCERT plans to expand a technology-based anti-piracy watermark developed by IIT Kanpur from a pilot of 10 lakh copies to cover all titles in the next academic year
• Officials warn that low-quality paper and ink in pirated textbooks pose health hazards to students and result in significant revenue losses for educational institutions
• To improve genuine supply and curb counterfeiting, NCERT has stepped up textbook print schedules, ensured timely market availability, offered books at MRP with free delivery online and urged public reporting of illicit sellers