Publishers' body to meet Vinod Tawde

The Association of Publishers and Distributors will be meeting the state education minister, Vinod Tawde, on Monday.

Earlier, the association had met the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to obtain clarity on the copyright policy of textbooks issued by the Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research (Balbharati).

The association will be accompanied by members from class owners association as well as publishers from digital media that produces content for education in schools.

On March 9, Balbharati announced that to curb commercialization of education, they will copyright their textbooks for Classes 1 to 10, adding that that publishing any book with excerpts from a Balbharati textbook will be liable for legal action.

Deepak Seth, Secretary of the Association of Publishers and Distributors, said, "We need a clarity on the policy. One of the point in the policy is that they will decide who to give license and who to reject. The reasons or the basis of refusal is not given. Hence, we will be meeting the education minister."