Police also seized two printing machines, aluminum printing plates, paper rolls, and printing ink, pointing to large-scale unauthorized printing operations.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), in coordination with the Delhi Police Crime Branch, has supported a major crackdown on the illegal printing of pirated NCERT textbooks. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the Crime Branch carried out a raid at a printing unit in Village Jawli, Loni, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
The operation led to the seizure of nearly 32,000 pirated NCERT textbooks across various classes and subjects. Authorities also recovered two printing machines, aluminum printing plates, paper rolls, and printing ink, pointing to large-scale unauthorized printing activity.
The action stemmed from intelligence gathered during an earlier case registered by the Crime Branch under FIR No. 336/2025 dated November 11, 2025, invoking relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Copyright Act, 1957.
Officials from NCERT’s Publication Division were present during the raid and seizure process, providing technical support to identify and authenticate the pirated material. NCERT reiterated that the unauthorized printing, distribution, or sale of its textbooks is a punishable offense under the law.
Such activities not only infringe copyright laws but also harm students and the broader education system by circulating inferior and inaccurate content. Members of the public have been advised to purchase NCERT textbooks only from authorised outlets and to report any suspected instances of piracy to NCERT or local authorities.
Meanwhile, data presented in the Rajya Sabha on December 17 revealed that the National Council of Educational Research and Training is operating with more than half of its sanctioned posts vacant. Of a total sanctioned strength of 2,844 positions across its headquarters, regional institutes, and departments, only 1,219 posts are currently filled, leaving 1,625 vacancies across Group A, B, and C categories.
The details were shared by the Ministry of Education in response to an unstarred question raised by Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam, who sought information on vacancies, contractual hiring, and permanent recruitment at NCERT over the past five years.