Hazaribagh Dist Admn Busts Fake NCERT Textbooks Racket

Hazaribagh (IANS): The Hazaribagh district administration has exposed a major counterfeit textbook racket and filed FIRs against three prominent bookshops for selling fake NCERT publications. The crackdown, conducted under the Copyright Act, 1957, follows a surge in complaints regarding substandard Class 9 textbooks being sold as genuine.

Simultaneous Raids at Major Depots

Following the directives of Deputy Commissioner Hemant Sati, a specialized administrative team conducted simultaneous raids on Friday at three local outlets:

• Sangam Book Depot
• Gyan Bhandar-1
• Gyan Bhandar-2

During the inspection, officials discovered several red flags. Most notably, many books lacked the official hologram required for authentication. Further examination revealed poor paper quality, substandard printing, and inferior binding, all of which pointed toward an organized counterfeiting operation rather than genuine stock.

Claims of ‘Used Books’ Dismissed

When questioned, the shop owners claimed they were reselling old NCERT books purchased from students. However, the administration rejected this explanation, stating that the sheer volume and the physical discrepancies in the seized stock suggest a wider, organized racket dealing in fake materials.

Authorities seized the suspected counterfeit books in the presence of local witnesses. The subsequent FIRs aim to curb “irregularities and fraud in the name of education.”

Advice to Parents

The district administration has issued a stern warning that illegal trade targeting students will not be tolerated. Officials advised parents and guardians to:

• Purchase books only from authorized and reliable outlets.
• Check for the official NCERT hologram on the inner or outer covers.
• Immediately report any suspicious printing or paper quality to the authorities.