School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse informed the state assembly that more than 20,000 fake copies of Balbharati textbooks were seized from a private printing press in Nagpur district in December 2025
School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse informed the state assembly on Friday. File Pic/X
The Maharashtra government will launch a statewide awareness campaign from the coming academic year to help people identify genuine 'Balbharati' textbooks published by Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research, state's school education minister said on Friday, reported the PTI.
School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse informed the state assembly that more than 20,000 fake copies of Balbharati textbooks were seized from a private printing press in Nagpur district in December 2025.
The illegal printing activity was uncovered during a raid at a press located in the Hingna MIDC area of Nagpur.
Following the Nagpur Balbharati raid the government has alerted its regional officers across the state to monitor and inspect private printing presses wherever necessary to curb such illegal activities, the minister said, as per the PTI.
According to the minister’s written reply during Question Hour in the Lower House, officials from Balbharati carried out an on-site inspection after receiving information about the illegal printing of textbooks meant for Classes 9 to 12.
After the inspection, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against those involved.
The owner of the printing press was arrested and the entire stock of counterfeit books was confiscated, the PTI reported.
QR codes to ensure authenticity
The government has since alerted its regional officers across Maharashtra to closely monitor private printing presses and conduct inspections wherever necessary to prevent similar incidents.
To help students and parents identify genuine textbooks, the government will introduce QR codes on designated pages of official Balbharati books from the upcoming academic year, according to the PTI.
These QR codes are expected to make it easier to verify whether a textbook is authentic.
Awareness campaign in May and June
Dadaji Bhuse said that awareness campaigns will be conducted through various media platforms during May and June.
The initiative will target students, parents and booksellers to educate them about how to distinguish genuine textbooks from fake ones, the news agency reported.
The state government hopes that strict monitoring, combined with public awareness and the use of QR technology, will prevent the spread of counterfeit educational material in the state.
(with PTI inputs)
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