Community rules
Prohibited items
KitabPadhoIndia is for used books, instruments and kits, bought and sold between students of the same college. To keep it safe, legal and fair, some things can't be listed. If you're not sure about an item, don't list it.
Last updated:
In short: only sell original books and real study items that belong to you. No copies, no cheating, nothing dangerous or illegal.
Not allowed
You can't list, sell, buy or ask for these on KitabPadhoIndia. This covers listings, chats and Wanted requests.
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Photocopied or pirated books and PDFs
Photocopies (“xerox” copies), printouts of scanned books, fake reprints, and pirated PDFs or e-books, including links or drives that share them. Only original printed books can be sold.
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Leaked exam papers and answer keys
Leaked question papers, answer keys or solutions for any exam, test or quiz, and anything else meant to help someone cheat.
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Assignment-writing and proxy services
Offers to write assignments, practical files or projects for someone else, mark proxy attendance or sit an exam in someone's place. Ready-made work to submit as your own is not allowed either.
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Medicines and drugs
Any medicine, including prescription drugs, tablets, syrups and injections, even if sealed and unused. Illegal drugs are not allowed either.
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Alcohol, tobacco and vapes
Alcohol, cigarettes, bidis, gutkha and other tobacco or nicotine products. E-cigarettes and vapes are banned in India and can't be listed.
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Weapons
Guns, air guns, replica guns, ammunition, knives, swords, knuckle-dusters and anything made or sold to hurt someone. Compasses, dividers and dissection kits are study tools, not weapons.
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Hazardous chemicals
Acids, lab chemicals and reagents, solvents, fuel, gas cylinders, firecrackers, and anything poisonous, flammable, corrosive or explosive. This applies even if it is sealed.
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Stolen goods
Anything that isn't yours to sell. This includes college property such as library books, lab or workshop equipment and hostel furniture.
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Counterfeit branded items
Fake or “first copy” versions of branded products, such as a copy of a branded scientific calculator. If it isn't made by the brand on the label, don't list it.
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College ID cards and documents
ID cards (yours or anyone else's), library cards, admit cards, mark sheets, certificates and other official documents, real or fake.
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Adult content
Pornographic or sexually explicit material of any kind, printed or digital.
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Live animals
Pets or any other live animals, including birds, fish and insects.
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Anything else illegal
Anything that is illegal to sell in India, or that your college does not allow on campus.
Why we don't allow pirated books
Selling your own original book is completely fine. That's what KitabPadhoIndia is for. Selling a copy of a book is different.
- It's against copyright law. Authors and publishers hold the copyright in their books. Selling photocopied or pirated copies without their permission can break India's Copyright Act, 1957, and can get you into legal trouble.
- It hurts authors. Authors earn a royalty on every original copy sold, and many textbook authors are teachers themselves. Piracy cuts their income and makes it harder for them to write new books and updated editions.
- It's unfair to honest students. Seniors selling real books get undercut by cheap copies, and buyers often end up with missing pages and blurry diagrams.
You don't need a photocopy to save money. The suggested price for a used original in grade C (Usable) condition is about 25–30% of its MRP.
Highlighting or notes in the margins are fine on a used original. Just mention them in the listing details.
Allowed, with care
These are normal study items. They just need a little extra care.
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Kits with sharp tools
Compasses, dividers, cutters and dissection kits are study tools, so you can list them.
- Say in the listing details which sharp items are included.
- Cover points and blades, for example with a cap or the original box.
- Hand them over in person, at your campus pickup point.
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Kits that came with chemicals or medicines
Take out any chemicals, reagents or medicines before you list the kit. They are not allowed, even in a sealed pack.
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Books with your details inside
Lots of students write their name, roll number or phone number in their books. Black out anything you don't want to share, and make sure it doesn't show in your listing photos.
What happens if you list a prohibited item
Every listing gets an automatic safety check before it goes live. Obvious problems, like a pirated PDF or a medicine, are blocked, and the app tells you why. Listings that look suspicious are reviewed by an AI safety model and by our team, and our team reviews every report. If a listing breaks these rules:
- The listing is removed. It will no longer show up in the app.
- You get a warning. For a first, small mistake, this is usually all that happens.
- Repeat or serious cases can lead to suspension. If you keep listing prohibited items, or if it's serious (like selling drugs, weapons or leaked papers), we may suspend your account.
- Illegal activity may be reported. Where the law allows or requires it, we may share information with the police or other authorities.
How to report a prohibited item
Seen something from this list in the app? Don't buy it, and don't meet up for it. Report it instead.
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Open it in the app
Go to the listing or the chat. You need to be signed in to report, but you don't need a verified college ID.
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Tap Report
On a listing, tap the flag icon at the top. In a chat, open the three-dot menu and tap “Report this chat”. To report a person, long-press one of their messages to open their profile, then tap Report.
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Choose a reason
Pick “Photocopied / pirated book” or “Prohibited item”. Add any details that help, then tap “Send report”.
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Our team reviews it
Every report is reviewed by our team. If a rule was broken, we act on it.
- The report menu also has options for a fake or misleading listing, harassment or abuse, someone who didn't show up, an unsafe meet-up, or something else.
- Can't use the app? Email [email protected] with the subject “Report: …” (for example, “Report: photocopied book”), and add the listing link or a screenshot. To copy a listing's link, tap Share on the listing.
- For a formal complaint, contact our Grievance Officer.
- If anyone is in danger, call 112 (India's emergency number) or your campus security first.
Not sure about an item?
If in doubt, leave it out. You can also email us at [email protected] before you list it.
We may update this list from time to time. The latest version is always on this page. Please also read our safety guidelines and terms of use.