The Supreme Court of India on Thursday ordered the immediate nationwide withdrawal of a Class 8 Social Science textbook published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), imposing a complete blanket ban over references to “corruption in the judiciary”.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant, and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, was hearing a suo motu case titled “In Re: Social Science Textbook for Grade–8 (Part-2) published by NCERT and ancillary issues.” The court observed that the chapter, while ostensibly discussing the judiciary’s role, appeared to reflect a “discernible underlying agenda to undermine the institutional authority and demean the dignity of the judiciary.”
The controversy relates to Chapter 4 of the textbook, Exploring Society: India and Beyond, which contains a sub-topic titled “Corruption in the Judiciary.” Referring to a newspaper report dated February 24, 2026, the Bench noted that the text cited numerous complaints against the judiciary and suggested that people experience corruption at various levels, without adequately acknowledging corrective mechanisms or the judiciary’s historic contributions.
The court remarked that it was “nearly shocked” upon learning of the publication, stating that foundational curricula must undergo rigorous pedagogical scrutiny to assess their impact on impressionable students. It further observed that the chapter omitted references to the judiciary’s role in upholding constitutional morality and the Basic Structure doctrine, principles described as central to India’s democratic framework.
At the same time, the Bench clarified that its intervention was not intended to stifle legitimate criticism or democratic debate. “Dissent, deliberation and rigorous discourse constitute the vitality of a living democracy,” the order said, but cautioned against exposing young students to what it termed a “biased narrative.”
The court warned that if the publication was found to be deliberate, it could amount to criminal contempt under Section 2(c) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.
Taking note of an NCERT press release halting distribution and promising to rewrite the chapter, the court said the genuineness of the apology would be examined later. It issued show-cause notices to the Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, and NCERT Director Professor Dinesh Prasad Saklani.
Pending further hearing on March 11, 2026, the court directed seizure of all physical and digital copies and prohibited any reprinting or circulation of the book.
