## Policy Summary: Combating Piracy of NCERT Textbooks
This document summarizes the Indian Ministry of Education's response to increasing instances of pirated National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks across the country, as addressed in Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3580 on August 11, 2025.
The Ministry acknowledges the reported instances of piracy and confirms that approximately 4.71 lakh pirated copies of NCERT textbooks were seized in various operations during 2024 and 2025. The piracy is attributed to commercial motives of unscrupulous elements.
To address this issue, NCERT has undertaken several measures, including:
* Conducting 29 raids in the past year on premises involved in the manufacturing and sale of pirated textbooks and illegal NCERT watermarked paper. These raids resulted in the confiscation of stock and machinery valued at over Rs 20.00 crores.
* Reducing the price of NCERT textbooks.
* Improving the quality of paper and printing through the use of modern machines.
* Promoting the online sale of textbooks through reputable e-commerce platforms.
* Conducting a pilot trial of a technology-based anti-piracy solution, developed and patented by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, on one million copies of a Grade 6 textbook.
The implemented measures have yielded positive results, with NCERT textbook sales reaching Rs 526.00 crore in 2024-25, compared to Rs 232.00 crore in 2023-24.
Key Entities Referenced
National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT): An organization responsible for providing quality textbooks at an affordable price and taking measures to curb piracy of its textbooks.
Ministry of Education: The government ministry responsible for school education and literacy.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India, where the question regarding pirated textbooks was raised.
Dr. Bhola Singh: One of the Members of Parliament who raised a question about pirated NCERT textbooks.
Shri Jayant Chaudhary: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, who provided the answer to the question about pirated NCERT textbooks.
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur: The institution that developed and patented a technology-based anti-piracy solution for NCERT textbooks.
Grade 6 textbooks: Textbooks for which NCERT conducted a pilot trial of a technology based antipiracy solution developed by IIT Kanpur.
Uttar Pradesh: State where IIT Kanpur is located, related to the technology based anti-piracy solution.
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.
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