In a major step to curb the circulation of counterfeit textbooks, the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UP Board) is set to introduce advanced security features in textbooks for Classes 9 to 12.
Beginning with the 2026–27 academic session, redesigned four-colour covers will be issued for 70 NCERT-based textbooks across 36 subjects, along with 12 language textbooks in Hindi, Sanskrit and Urdu, officials said.
For the first time, the Board is incorporating a sunlight-reactive security feature, a special ink that remains invisible indoors but turns red when exposed to sunlight. Officials said this technology will make duplication extremely difficult and allow teachers and students to verify authenticity instantly.
The initiative aligns with the Board’s recent upgrades to marksheets and certificates, which now include high-security elements. More than 1.10 crore students in over 28,000 schools affiliated with the UP Board are expected to benefit.
To implement the new feature, the Board has added a clause to this year’s printing tender requiring publishers to supply authorised, affordably priced books equipped with the specified security elements in every district.
Confirming the development, UP Board secretary Bhagwati Singh said inspection teams would be deployed across districts to ensure the availability of textbooks with the updated security feature. “If authorised books are not available, the publisher’s work order will be cancelled and reassigned,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Confirming the development, UP Board secretary Bhagwati Singh said inspection teams would be deployed across districts to ensure the availability of textbooks with the updated security feature. “If authorised books are not available, the publisher’s work order will be cancelled and reassigned,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}The UP Board prints textbooks through selected publishers only after receiving NCERT approval. With this latest upgrade, the Board aims to ensure uniformity, quality and authenticity of study material across the state.
In another first, the Board has directed publishers to supply NCERT-based textbooks directly to all 75 districts, replacing the earlier system in which local retailers procured books. This mandatory direct-distribution requirement has been added to the tender to improve accessibility and affordability, officials said