NCERT Withdraws Class 8 Book, Apologises Over ‘Judicial Graft’ Chapter
NCERT Withdraws Class VIII Textbook After Supreme Court Objection
New Delhi: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) on Tuesday issued an “unconditional and unqualified apology” and withdrew its recently published Class VIII social science textbook after the Supreme Court raised objections to a chapter discussing corruption and challenges within the judiciary.
Apology Over ‘Judicial Graft’ Content
In an official statement, NCERT said the textbook titled “Exploring Society: India and Beyond – Grade 8 (Part 2)” included a chapter named “The Role of Judiciary in Our Society.” The council acknowledged concerns over the content and confirmed that the entire book has been removed from circulation.
According to NCERT, the director and members of the council apologised for the inclusion of the controversial material, and the publication has been completely withdrawn from availability.
Supreme Court Takes Suo Motu Cognisance
The matter reached the Supreme Court after senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi sought urgent attention to the issue. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, took suo motu cognisance of the content.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice strongly objected to references suggesting corruption in the judiciary, stating that no one should be allowed to undermine the credibility of the institution. The court subsequently imposed a blanket ban on the publication, reprinting and digital distribution of the textbook, describing parts of it as “offending” to the judiciary.
Centre Promises Action
The controversy also drew a response from the Union government. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed concern over the inclusion of the chapter and said accountability would be determined. He added that appropriate action would be taken against those responsible for preparing the content.
The development has triggered debate in academic and legal circles over how institutional challenges should be discussed in school textbooks while maintaining respect for constitutional bodies.
