The National Council of Educational Research and Training stopped the sale of its new Class 8 Social Science textbook after controversy erupted over a section mentioning corruption in the judiciary. The issue surfaced after a news report highlighted the content in a chapter titled The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society. Following strong criticism from members of the legal fraternity, officials withdrew the book from distribution. Staff at the NCERT publication counter in Delhi confirmed that they no longer sold the book. The Education Ministry also directed authorities to keep the distribution on hold until further orders.
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Senior advocates A M Singhvi and Kapil Sibal raised the matter before the Supreme Court. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant strongly objected to the content and stated that he would not allow anyone to defame the institution. The court registered a suo motu case to examine the issue. The controversy centered on a section that listed corruption and massive backlog of cases as challenges faced by the judiciary. The mention of these issues triggered concern among members of the Bar and Bench.
NCERT later issued a statement expressing regret over including what it called inappropriate material in the textbook. The council clarified that the error occurred unintentionally and assured that it respects the judiciary as a constitutional authority. It announced that it would rewrite the concerned portions after consulting the appropriate authorities. NCERT stated that it would make the revised content available before the start of the 2026–27 academic session. The council emphasized that it holds the judiciary in the highest esteem and never intended to diminish its authority.
Book pulled after Supreme Court objects to content on judiciary challenges
The controversial section had discussed accountability mechanisms within the judiciary, including the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System and the process of impeachment through Parliament. It also mentioned that people experience corruption at various levels and that authorities are working to improve transparency through technology and reforms. The older Class 8 Political Science textbook did not mention corruption while explaining the judiciary’s role.
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