The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) on Wednesday said it would place the distribution of a new social science textbook for Class VIII “strictly” on the directives of the Union Education Ministry following Supreme Court objections to a section on “corruption in the judiciary”.
The council said it “regrets the inclusion of inappropriate material” in the chapter titled “The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society” and will now rewrite it in consultation with experts. The book will be available to eighth grade students accordingly at the beginning of the 2026-27 academic session.
In a statement issued late on Wednesday night, NCERT said it “holds the highest regard for the judiciary and considers it to be an upholder of the Indian Constitution and a protector of fundamental rights.” “The said error is completely unintentional and NCERT regrets including inappropriate material in the said chapter,” he added.
Read also | SC takes suo motu cognizance of NCERT Class 8 chapter on “Corruption in Judiciary”
NCERT released the second part of the Social Science textbook for Class 8 on Monday. “On receipt of the textbook, it was observed that some inappropriate text material and errors of judgment had inadvertently crept into the chapter titled ‘Role of Judiciary in Our Society’. The Department of School Education and Literacy (Department of Education) also made a similar observation and directed that the distribution of this book be strictly suspended till further orders. The same has been adhered to,” NCERT said.
“There is no intention to question or diminish the authority of any constitutional body,” the council said, adding that the aim of the new textbooks is to promote constitutional culture, institutional respect, and an informed understanding of democratic participation among students.
A senior NCERT official said the book was withdrawn from sale on Tuesday and that the board did not intend to defend in the Supreme Court the inclusion of detailed references to corruption in the judiciary.
According to the official, the council believes that discussing corruption in the judiciary in detail may not be appropriate for eighth grade students. “The judiciary enjoys great trust and faith among people. We feel that this department may create a lack of confidence among students, which is not desirable in the long run,” the official said.
NCERT has also initiated an internal review to examine how this section was included in the textbook. The official added that different curriculum groups are responsible for drafting the books, and multiple review teams check the content before publication.
“The revised version of the textbook is expected to be available within a month,” he said.
The development comes after 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. The International Commission of Justice described this development as “deep-rooted,” adding that it appeared to be a “calculated and conscious step.”
The CJI’s remarks came after senior advocate Kapil Sibal mentioned the case before a bench also comprising Justice Joymalia Bagchi, saying the bar was “deeply disturbed”.
