Over 10,000 suspected fake NCERT textbooks seized in Rudrapur

Rudrapur: A truck carrying more than 10,000 suspected fake NCERT textbooks was intercepted near Kiratpur village in Rudrapur late on Saturday by Udham Singh Nagar police, triggering a multi-department probe into what officials suspect could be a larger illegal printing and distribution network.Officials said the action followed a tip-off that a truck loaded with "fake" NCERT books was heading to a warehouse in Kiratpur village on Kashipur Road. Initially, the consignment appeared to contain regular academic textbooks. However, suspecting irregularities, police alerted officials of the education department to verify the books.During the preliminary scrutiny, officials noticed printing defects and the absence of a printer's mark on the books, which raised suspicion that they might have been printed illegally using the NCERT name. District chief education officer Harendra Mishra said, "In Uttarakhand, only three authorised firms -- Raj Enterprises and Deepak Printers in Haldwani, and Aster Printers in Mathura -- are permitted to print NCERT books for govt schools."On Sunday morning, education department officials returned and opened the warehouse in the presence of tehsildar Dinesh Kutaula and samples were collected for further examination. "We have contacted NCERT Delhi for verification, and a team has embarked for Rudrapur," Mishra said.Rudrapur SHO Manoj Raturi said the warehouse where the consignment was to be unloaded belongs to Sudhir Kumar, a resident of Meerut. "Further legal action will be taken after the NCERT team verifies whether the books are counterfeit," he said.Officials noted that a similar case surfaced in 2024, when the education department seized 265 quintals of fake NCERT book covers in Udham Singh Nagar, raising concerns about an illegal network operating in the region.