The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has stopped the sale of its new Class 8 Social Science textbook following controversy over a section discussing corruption in the judiciary. The decision came after the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the textbook’s content, which described corruption, case backlogs, and a shortage of judges as challenges facing the judicial system.
According to Deccan Herald, the Supreme Court’s intervention followed concerns raised by senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who argued that teaching students about judicial corruption was a matter of grave concern. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant described the inclusion of the chapter as a “calculated move” and stated, “I will not allow anybody to defame institution. Law will take its course.”
As reported by Hindustan Times, the three-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul M Pancholi, expressed strong objections to the chapter. The Chief Justice emphasised that no one would be permitted to taint the judiciary’s integrity, and noted that many high court judges were also perturbed by the textbook’s content.
As highlighted by The Hindu, the chapter in question, titled “The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society,” outlined corruption, a massive backlog of cases, and insufficient judges as key challenges. The section on “corruption in the judiciary” stated that judges are bound by a code of conduct both inside and outside the courtroom. Justice Bagchi remarked that the content affected constitutional integrity and the principle of separation of powers.
As noted in an article by Financial Express, the Supreme Court bench described the matter as serious and said it raised “grave concerns.” Justice Bagchi further commented that parts of the textbook seemed to go against the basic structure of the Constitution. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi questioned the selective focus on judicial corruption, pointing out that similar issues exist in other institutions.
“I will not allow anybody to defame the institution. Law will take its course,” Chief Justice Surya Kant stated during the proceedings.
Government sources indicated that while NCERT is an autonomous body, officials responsible for the chapter should have exercised better judgment. They suggested that if corruption was to be discussed, it should have included all three branches of government—executive, judiciary, and legislature. The sources also noted that the Union Law Ministry was not consulted for fact verification.
The Supreme Court’s response included remarks that the textbook’s content appeared to be a deliberate attempt to harm the judiciary’s image. The bench reiterated that the law would take its course and that the matter was being taken up suo motu due to its seriousness.
Further coverage revealed that the revised textbook, “Exploring Society: India and Beyond,” included sections titled “Justice delayed is justice denied” and “Corruption in the judiciary.” These sections addressed challenges such as corruption and case backlogs, marking a significant shift from previous editions that focused mainly on the structure and role of courts.
“People do experience corruption at various levels of the judiciary. For the poor and the disadvantaged, this can worsen the issue of access to justice,” the textbook stated, as cited in the proceedings.
Additional reporting indicated that the chapter also provided data on pending cases: approximately 81,000 in the Supreme Court, 62.4 lakh in high courts, and 4.7 crore in district and subordinate courts. The book referenced internal accountability mechanisms and quoted former Chief Justice B R Gavai on the importance of transparency and swift action to maintain public trust.
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