Supreme Court Delivers Stern Rebuke to NCERT Over Controversial Textbook Chapter
The Supreme Court of India delivered a powerful and unprecedented reprimand to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) on Thursday, strongly condemning the inclusion of a now-withdrawn chapter in the newly introduced Class 8 textbook. This chapter, which had been added to the syllabus just days earlier, explicitly outlined issues of "corruption" and "backlogs" within the Indian judiciary.
Court Calls It a "Deep-Rooted Conspiracy"
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, leading the bench, characterized the inclusion of this material as nothing short of a "deep-rooted conspiracy" against the judicial institution. The court issued a formal show-cause notice to the NCERT director, demanding explanations and pushing aggressively for decisive action. The bench emphasized the necessity of a "deeper probe" into the entire matter to uncover those responsible.
Amid the escalating controversy triggered by the top court's sharp remarks, the bench also issued a crucial directive: the immediate seizure of all physical and digital copies of the NCERT textbook currently in circulation that contain the contentious chapter on judicial "corruption."
Key Observations from the Supreme Court Bench
The Supreme Court made several pointed observations during the hearing, revealing its deep concern over the potential impact of the textbook content:
"They have fired the gun and the judiciary is bleeding today. Today, anybody can say anything. At times, there is a mounting attack on us, and we are aware of it. The material is available online, on the internet, and even in stores," the bench noted.Elaborating on the perceived intent, the court stated, "This is a very calculated move -- the entire teaching will be dictated. When you look at how the Indian judiciary is portrayed as corrupt, it becomes evident what message is being sent. The entire teaching community will first be instructed that this is what they have to teach."
CJI Surya Kant was particularly forceful, declaring, "In reality, not a single section of society has been left untouched. It is a deep-rooted, well-planned, and orchestrated conspiracy." He further criticized NCERT's response, noting, "There is not a single word of apology in NCERT's communication, and instead, they have justified it."
Asserting judicial authority, the CJI stated, "It is my duty to find out who is responsible; heads must roll." The bench collectively emphasized, "We would like to have a deeper probe," and warned, "It seems there is a calculated move to undermine the institution and demean the dignity of the judiciary."
The court expressed grave concerns about the long-term consequences, stating, "If allowed to go unchecked, this will erode people's faith in the judiciary." It also raised the possibility of legal consequences, suggesting "Such misconduct, having an everlasting impact on the judiciary, would fall within the definition of criminal contempt."
Court Orders and Immediate Actions
In a sweeping move, the top court ordered a comprehensive blanket ban on any further publication of the NCERT book containing the "offending chapter" on the judiciary, in both physical and digital formats. The court directed the Centre and all state authorities to comply immediately with these directives without delay.
The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing for this suo motu case on March 11, indicating the seriousness with which it is treating this unprecedented educational controversy.
Background of the Controversial Textbook Chapter
This judicial intervention follows the recent introduction of a new NCERT social science textbook for Class 8 students. The revised chapter, titled 'The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society', ventured beyond traditional explanations of court structures and access to justice. It directly addressed systemic challenges affecting the judiciary's functioning, including corruption, a heavy backlog of cases, and an insufficient number of judges. Previous textbook editions had primarily focused on the organization and role of courts without such critical commentary.
One particularly contentious section of the new textbook discussed corruption within the judicial system and its disproportionate impact on access to justice, especially for economically disadvantaged groups. The text stated: "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. Hence, efforts are constantly being made at the State and Union levels to build faith and increase transparency in the judicial system, including through the use of technology, and to take swift and decisive action against instances of corruption wherever they may arise."
The textbook also provided detailed data illustrating the massive scale of pending cases across India's court system. According to the chapter, there are approximately 81,000 cases pending in the Supreme Court, about 62.40 lakh cases in various high courts, and a staggering 4.70 crore cases in district and subordinate courts nationwide.
The Supreme Court's forceful response underscores the sensitive nature of discussing institutional shortcomings in educational materials and raises significant questions about academic freedom, institutional reputation, and the boundaries of curriculum development in India.
