NEW DELHI: A graduate of University of Delhi was arrested after a police raid on a godown in outer Delhi where more than 5,000 pirated textbooks of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) were seized, an officer said on Friday. A police team conducted a search of the premises and found thousands of NCERT textbooks stacked inside the godown in both Hindi and English mediums.

“Officials of the NCERT were called to the spot to verify the books. After examining the material, they confirmed that the textbooks were counterfeit,” the officer said. Following this confirmation, the accused was apprehended and the entire stock of 5,011 pirated books was seized. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway to trace other members of the racket.

According to an official statement from the Delhi Police, the accused, Kumar, originally hails from Bihar and came to Delhi in 2003, where his father worked as a newspaper hawker. He graduated from Hansraj College of the University of Delhi and later pursued a master’s degree from Indira Gandhi National Open University.

After failing to secure a government job through competitive examinations, he allegedly began selling pirated NCERT textbooks in 2022, police said.

The police added that Kumar is a repeat offender and has previously been booked in two cases related to the sale of pirated books. Investigators are now trying to identify other members of the network involved in printing, storage and distribution of counterfeit NCERT textbooks in the region.

‘Purchase textbooks only from authorised sources’

NCERT reiterated that unauthorised printing, distribution of its textbooks is a punishable offence. It said such illegal practices violate copyright laws and harm students and the education system by circulating substandard and inaccurate content. NCERT also urged the public to purchase textbooks only from authorised sources,