Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Wednesday informed members of the Bar Association that the Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of a new section in the Class 8 social science textbook released by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) that discusses “corruption in the judiciary”, asserting that it will not allow defamation of the institution.
“I will not allow anyone on earth to defame the institution,” the ICJ said in open court after a group of senior lawyers urged the court to intervene. “No matter how high it stands, no one is above the law. Don’t worry… I know how to deal with it.”
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal mentioned the case before a bench also comprising Justice Joymalia Bagchi, saying the bar was “deeply disturbed”.
“We are compelled to bring up this issue urgently because we, at the Bar, are very disturbed. Children in Class VIII are being taught about ‘corruption in the judiciary’. It is part of the NCERT syllabus and their textbook,” Sibal said.
The CJI replied that he was already aware of the development. “I am fully aware of the matter,” he said. “I can assure you… that it certainly concerns the entire institution. All the stakeholders, and the judges in the high courts, are equally disturbed and have informed me about it.”
He added, “I have already issued the order on the administrative side. We are dealing with the matter on our own,” indicating that the Supreme Court will begin the procedures on its own.
The International Commission of Justice described this development as “deep-rooted,” adding that it appeared to be a “calculated and conscious step.”
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi noted that while the chapter dealt with corruption in the judiciary, there was “not a single word” on corruption in other sectors like bureaucracy or politics.
In response, Justice Bagchi observed that “constitutional morality, as envisaged in the basic structure, is missing.”
“I can assure you that we will take appropriate steps,” the CJI reiterated.
The controversy centers around a newly released social science textbook for Class 8 by NCERT, which includes a section on “Corruption in the Judiciary” as part of a chapter titled “Role of the Judiciary in Our Society”.
The chapter lists “corruption at various levels of the judiciary” and “the huge backlog of cases” among the challenges facing the judicial system. It provides rough figures for pending cases – about 81,000 in the Supreme Court, more than 6.2 million in superior courts, and about 47 million in district courts.
This section states that judges are bound by a code of conduct governing their conduct inside and outside the court, refers to internal accountability mechanisms, and lists complaints received through the Central Public Grievances Redressal and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS). It indicates that more than 1,600 such complaints were received between 2017 and 2021.
The textbook also explains the constitutional mechanism for removing judges through impeachment by Parliament after due investigation, and states that instances of corruption and misconduct can negatively impact public confidence. He emphasizes the need for transparency and accountability, and quotes former CJI Bhushan R Gavai on the importance of quick and decisive action to maintain trust in the institution.
The previous edition of the textbook, based on the 2005 National Curriculum Framework, discussed the structure and role of the judiciary and issues such as delays in the disposition of cases, but did not include a section that explicitly addressed corruption in the judiciary.
NCERT is reviewing textbooks in line with the National Education Policy 2020 and the new National Curriculum Framework for School Education. New books for grades 1 to 8 have already been launched.
