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Sales of NCERT textbooks rose by 127 per cent in 2024-25 to Rs 526 crore as compared to the previous year, following the rollout of revised textbooks and an aggressive crackdown on piracy, sources said.
The increase is being attributed to multiple interventions, including enforcement action against counterfeit networks, improved book quality, and expanded availability through e-commerce platforms. Sources said NCERT carried out raids at 29 locations over the last year, targeting manufacturers and sellers of pirated textbooks and illegal watermarked paper, leading to the seizure of stock and machinery worth over Rs 20 crore. "Sales of NCERT textbooks touched Rs 526 crore in 2024-25, compared to Rs 232 crore in 2023-24," a source said. "The increase is due to a combination of factors--action against piracy, online sales, and introduction of new textbooks as part of the curriculum revamp," it added. The Council also reduced textbook prices by 20 per cent after saving Rs 155 crore in paper procurement, upgraded to brighter paper (minimum 85 per cent brightness in 2024-25 compared to 82 per cent earlier), and adopted modern printing systems. Over 30 lakh copies have been sold on Amazon and Flipkart in the last eight months at MRP, sources said. To strengthen anti-piracy measures, a tech-based solution developed and patented by IIT Kanpur was piloted on one million copies of a Grade 6 textbook. Sources said the system showed promising results and will be expanded. Officials said the spike in textbook sales is also due to the introduction of new textbooks under the new National Curriculum Framework as a follow-up to NEP 2020, which began rolling out across classes this academic year. (ANI)
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