Submit report on ‘piracy’, NCERT told

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 24

The UT Vigilance Department has sent a reminder to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) asking it to perform lab testing on 42 “pirated” books that were seized from two city bookshops during a raid on April 9.

According to sources in the inspection team, the seized books did not carry the NCERT watermark. All NCERT textbooks carry the watermark of its logo on several pages and consecutive eight pages have the watermark on at least two pages anywhere in the textbook.

The books that were seized from Happy Book Depot in Sector 22 and Suresh Book Depot in Sector 23 seemed “pirated” and a lab testing was recommended to check authenticity of the books. It is pertinent to mention here that the seized books were just a sample from a large stock.

Preliminary probe reveals paper quality poor

As per the preliminary investigation, there is a presumption that paper of the books is of poor quality and ink used may cause health hazards. The UT Vigilance cell has sought bill details from the booksellers to trace the printers involved in publishing the “pirated” books. It cannot take any stern action till the time a lab report is sent by the NCERT.

Meanwhile, it is learned that the booksellers have already sold huge stock of books worth crores. However, when a few parents visited the shopkeepers to return books, they refused to take them back.

According to information, the Sector 23 bookseller is one of the four registered vendors with the NCERT from Chandigarh. The council has empanelled dedicated booksellers as its wholesale agents for distribution of its publications across the country.