Bhopal: An alleged racket involving pirated books being sold as official NCERT textbooks was uncovered in a raid at a book shop in MP Nagar Zone-1.
Officials said the shop was allegedly marketing duplicate editions that closely resembled authentic NCERT books and selling them at prices 4-5 times higher than the actuals.
Acting on intelligence and official directives at the beginning of the new academic session, the raiding team seized stacks of counterfeit titles from stalls outside and counters inside the shop, all branded under the dubious “Golden Prakashan” label, officials said.
SDM MP Nagar, L.K. Khare, has submitted a detailed report to the collector (Bhopal) Kaushlendra Singh, recommending stringent action against those found responsible.
A salesman was caught red-handed hawking these unauthorized duplicates at an inflated prices-far exceeding genuine NCERT books, said SDM LK Khare.
The haul included fakes of popular curricula: Sarangi and Joyful Mathematics for Class 1; Sarangi, Mathematics Workbook, and Mridang for Class 2; Hindi texts for Classes 3-5; and a slew of subjects like Social Science, Science, Math, and Sanskrit spanning Classes 6-12.
The raid also unearthed additional private publications masquerading as supplements. These featured Madhur Hindi Vyakaran and Maths Tricks (Class 1); My Talks Book (Class 2); Social Science (Class 5); plus Curiosity Workbook and Samskritam (Class 7).
Beyond the piracy, glaring safety lapses also emerged: Inspectors found only two fire extinguishers on site-grossly insufficient for the bustling bookstore’s fire hazards.
On the seizures, officials said it was an attempt to dupe parents and students with overpriced knockoffs passed off as authentic NCERT material, flouting copyright and regulatory norms at the beginning of the new session. “Strict action will follow against such book stores and the supply chain will be probed,” a senior official said, wishing anonymity.
