NCERT Issues Warning Against Copyright Infringement of School Textbooks

New Delhi: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) issued a stern warning on Sunday to certain publishers for infringing upon the copyright of its school textbooks.

According to NCERT, several unscrupulous publishers have been printing NCERT school textbooks, which are freely available on the NCERT website, under their own name without obtaining proper authorization from the council.

As an advisory body to the government in the field of school education, NCERT emphasized its role in developing and disseminating textbooks for all stages of school education, serving as an authorized repository of educational teaching and learning resources.

The council reiterated that any individual or entity found publishing NCERT textbooks, either in whole or in part, for commercial sale or incorporating NCERT textbook content in their publications without obtaining proper copyright permission will face legal action under the Copyright Act of 1957.

Furthermore, NCERT cautioned the general public against purchasing or using such pirated textbooks or workbooks, warning that their content may contain factual inaccuracies and go against the fundamental philosophy outlined in the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) of 2023. Individuals who come across such unauthorized publications are urged to inform NCERT promptly via email at pd.ncert@nic.in.

In addition, NCERT outlined the proper procedure for publishers interested in using the NCERT name in their publications. Any publisher seeking to include the NCERT name in their work must submit a proposal to the Publication Division of NCERT in New Delhi or via email at secy.ncert@nic.in.

Rajesh Kumar, Deputy Secretary of NCERT, emphasized that the advisory on copyright infringement aims to protect the educational materials developed by NCERT. Stakeholders are urged to adhere to the copyrights advisory issued by NCERT and refrain from engaging in any form of copyright infringement concerning educational materials developed by the council.