In a significant move to combat textbook piracy, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) seized approximately 4.71 lakh counterfeit copies of its textbooks during operations conducted across several states in 2024 and 2025. The crackdown, aimed at manufacturers, sellers, and even producers of counterfeit books and spurious NCERT watermarked paper, resulted in the confiscation of inventory and machinery valued at over Rs 20 crore. In a statement to Lok Sabha, MoS for Education Jayant Chaudhary highlighted that the prevalence of piracy was chiefly driven by the ‘commercial motives of unscrupulous elements,’ posing a threat to NCERT’s objective of providing affordable, high-quality textbooks. The enforcement initiative targeted 29 locations associated with the illegal trade. To counter the illicit market, NCERT has reduced textbook prices by 20%, enhanced paper and printing quality through advanced machinery, and broadened online sales channels. Additionally, the organization has trialed a technology-based anti-piracy solution, developed and patented in collaboration with IIT-Kanpur.