Parliament Question: Pirated NCERT Textbooks

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3580 ANSWERED ON 11.08.2025 Pirated NCERT Textbooks †3580. Dr. Bhola Singh:

Smt. Mahima Kumari Mewar:

Shri Vishnu Dayal Ram:

Shri Basavaraj Bommai:

Dr. Hemang Joshi:

Shri Godam Nagesh:

Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat:

Ms Kangna Ranaut:

Shri Kanwar Singh Tanwar:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware of the increasing number of pirated National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks in various parts of the country, if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether any action has been taken by the Government to prevent the illegal printing, distribution and sale of pirated NCERT textbooks;

(c) the details of textbooks or materials seized along with the action taken against publishers, distributors and retailors of pirated textbooks;

(d) whether NCERT has taken any initiatives to curb the menace of such pirated textbooks; and

(e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (e) The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has informed that the instances of piracy of NCERT textbooks have been reported from different parts of the country. During the years 2024 and 2025, approximately 4.71 lakh pirated copies of NCERT textbooks have been seized in various operations across different states. Piracy is driven primarily due to commercial motives of unscrupulous elements. The main objective ofNCERT is to provide quality textbooks at an affordable price to all the students across the country. The following steps have been taken by NCERT to curb piracy:

i. In the last one-year NCERT has raided a record number of 29 premises belonging to the manufacturers and sellers of pirated NCERT textbooks, manufacturer of illegal NCERT watermarked paper, and confiscated stock and machinery worth more than Rs 20.00 crores.

ii. NCERT has also taken several proactive measures to hit at the very root of piracy business viz. 20% price reduction of NCERT textbooks, improved quality of paper and printing (using modern machines), promotion of online sale of textbooks through reputed e-Commerce platforms.

iii. NCERT has also conducted a pilot trial of a technology based anti-piracy solution, on 01 (one) million copies of a Grade 6 textbooks. This tech-based solution has been developed and patented by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur.

The result of these steps has been very positive. The sale figures of NCERT textbooks during the year 2024-25 have reached Rs 526.00 crore in contrast to Rs 232.00 crore in 2023-24. ****