Supreme Court Revises Earlier Order in NCERT Textbook Dispute
Top court leaves decision to governments and institutions after academicians clarify their role in drafting process
NEW DELHI, May 24: The Supreme Court on Friday modified portions of its earlier order in the ongoing Supreme Court NCERT textbook controversy, easing observations made against three academicians linked to a disputed Class 8 NCERT chapter concerning corruption in the judiciary.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, said the Centre, states, Union Territories, public universities and government funded institutions would now be free to independently decide whether to continue any association with the three academicians, without being influenced by the court’s earlier observations issued on March 11.
The apex court also withdrew a specific remark made in its previous order that had stated the academicians had “deliberately and knowingly” misrepresented facts to portray the Indian judiciary negatively before students.
The matter relates to objections raised over certain contents in an NCERT Class 8 textbook chapter that allegedly contained objectionable references regarding judicial corruption. The earlier order had triggered controversy after strong observations were made against the academicians involved in preparing the material.
During the hearing, the three scholars Professor Michel Danino, Suparna Diwakar and Alok Prasanna Kumar submitted explanations before the court, clarifying that the preparation of textbook material was a collective academic exercise and not the work of any single individual.
They informed the Bench that no individual contributor had exclusive authority over the drafting or approval of the chapter’s final content. Their submissions stressed that textbook preparation involved several layers of academic review and institutional participation.
Taking note of the clarification, the Supreme Court decided to soften its earlier stand and recalled the adverse findings recorded against the academicians. The Bench observed that authorities concerned may take their own decisions independently while considering the matter in accordance with applicable rules and procedures.
The development marks a significant turn in the Supreme Court NCERT textbook controversy, which had sparked debate within academic and legal circles over the balance between academic freedom, educational content and institutional accountability.
The revised order is expected to provide relief to the academicians while allowing governments and educational institutions to assess the issue on merit without judicial influence stemming from the earlier remarks.
