NCERT Apologises, Withdraws Textbook Chapter on ‘Judicial Graft’
Supreme Court objects to content on judiciary; education body removes book and issues unconditional apology.
New Delhi, Mar 10: The National Council of Educational Research and Training on Tuesday issued a public apology for including a chapter on alleged corruption in the judiciary in a recently published Class 8 social science textbook, stating that the entire book has been withdrawn.
The textbook, titled “Exploring Society: India and Beyond” (Grade 8, Part 2), contained a chapter discussing challenges faced by the judicial system, including corruption, a backlog of cases and shortage of judges.
In a statement, NCERT said its director and members “tender an unconditional and unqualified apology” for the content of Chapter 4, titled “The Role of Judiciary in our Society.” The council confirmed that the book has been withdrawn and is no longer available.
The development follows strong objections from the Supreme Court of India, which took suo motu cognisance of the issue after senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi raised the matter before the court.
A three judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, expressed serious concern over what it termed “objectionable” statements regarding the judiciary in the textbook.
During the proceedings, the CJI strongly criticised the inclusion of references to judicial corruption in the school curriculum, stating that the institution’s integrity could not be allowed to be tarnished.
The apex court subsequently imposed a blanket ban on further publication, reprinting or digital circulation of the Class 8 social science book, citing the presence of “offending” material.
Meanwhile, the government also expressed concern over the controversial section. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said accountability would be fixed and appropriate action would be taken against those responsible for drafting the content.
