NCERT Book Racket
Rudrapur police raid uncovers counterfeit textbook empire targeting students; inter-state network probe intensifies amid forensic checks.
Seized stacks of fake NCERT books from Rudrapur warehouse—poor quality fakes fooled with ‘ACERT’ watermark.
Uttarakhand Police smashed a sprawling counterfeit NCERT book racket in Rudrapur, seizing over 11 lakh pirated copies valued at Rs 11 crore from a warehouse and a truck. The March 14 operation in Udham Singh Nagar district exposed substandard books mimicking official ones, aimed at deceiving schools and students nationwide. Authorities acted on a tip-off, alerting NCERT experts who confirmed the fraud through shoddy printing and forged markings.
Raid Details
Late Saturday, SHO Manoj Raturi’s team intercepted a mini-truck (canter) near Anandam Resort loaded with suspicious books heading to Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. The driver lacked a valid e-way bill, and documents raised red flags during interrogation. He led police to a Keeratpur Koleda warehouse, where tehsildar Dinesh Kutaula and chief education officer Harendra Mishra oversaw the bust. Inside, 9.5-9.74 lakh fake books worth Rs 9-10 crore were stacked, plus Rs 1 crore from the vehicle—totaling 11.3 lakh copies.
NCERT’s Delhi team arrived Monday for inspection, spotting inferior paper, binding flaws, and a blatant fake watermark: “ACERT” instead of genuine NCERT. Samples went for forensic analysis, with more headed to headquarters. SSP Ajay Ganapathy pegged the haul at 9,74,085 books worth Rs 9 crore+, signaling a sophisticated inter-state syndicate.
Official Statements
Udham Singh Nagar SSP Ajay Ganapathy hailed the tip-off-driven raid: “A thorough investigation into this entire network is currently underway.” DGP Deepam Seth praised the team, announcing a Rs 20,000 cash reward for exposing the fraud. NCERT officials noted the books’ intent “to deceive the general public,” prompting charges under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections 318(4), 336(3), 338, 340(2), and the Copyright Act against warehouse operator Sandeep and associates.
Racket Background
Counterfeit NCERT books plague India’s education sector, flooding markets with cheap knockoffs that undercut originals and compromise learning quality. This Rudrapur bust tops national seizures, part of Uttarakhand Police’s anti-fake materials drive. The warehouse operation suggests supply to Uttar Pradesh and beyond, preying on budget-strapped parents and schools ahead of academic sessions. Such rackets evade taxes, erode publisher revenues, and risk outdated or erroneous content harming students.
Past raids—like similar Delhi-NCR hauls—reveal printing hubs in UP and Haryana feeding nationwide distribution. Here, the fakes targeted core subjects, printed to pass casual checks but failing expert scrutiny. No student harm reported yet, but timing near board exams amplifies urgency.
Investigation Ahead
A case is registered, with police hunting printers, distributors, and kingpins in the inter-state chain. Forensic reports will confirm origins, potentially linking to larger gangs. Further raids loom as DGP Seth vows sustained crackdowns. Schools urged to verify sources; public tipped to report suspicious low-price NCERTs. This haul safeguards millions in authentic textbook demand.
Broader Impact
The seizure protects Uttarakhand’s 20 lakh+ students from subpar materials, upholding NCERT standards amid digital learning shifts. Economic blow to pirates: Rs 11 crore loss disrupts their profits. Nationally, it signals zero tolerance, possibly inspiring coordinated agency ops.
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