New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday ordered the seizure of copies and digital takedown of an NCERT Class 8 social science textbook over a chapter referring to “corruption in the judiciary”, taking strong exception to the contents and initiating contempt proceedings.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant took suo motu cognisance of the chapter in the book Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Volume II, observing that the manner in which the judiciary was portrayed could undermine public confidence in the institution. The court described the inclusion of the chapter as serious and issued directions for immediate action.
The apex court directed that all physical copies of the textbook be seized forthwith and that digital versions, including PDFs available online, be taken down. It further ordered that no further printing, publication, sale or circulation — either in physical or electronic form — of the textbook be permitted until further orders.
The court also issued show-cause notices to the Director of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the Secretary of the Department of School Education, asking them to explain why proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act and other relevant laws should not be initiated against them over the publication of the chapter, according to various media reports.
During the hearing, the bench expressed concern that the chapter highlighted allegations of corruption and case pendency in the judiciary without adequately reflecting the constitutional role and safeguards of the institution. The judges said such content in a school textbook could have a lasting impact on young minds and erode faith in democratic institutions.
Following the court’s observations, NCERT informed the bench that it had withdrawn the textbook from circulation and acknowledged an error in judgment. The council said the content would be reviewed and rewritten appropriately. It also conveyed its regret over the inclusion of the contentious material.
Who write these chapters?
It starts with the National Curriculum Framework (NCF). No NCERT textbook starts with a blank page and the process begins with the NCF, which lays down the philosophy of learning, subject priorities, and pedagogical direction, according to an India Today report. Developing the NCF and designing syllabi and textbooks is one of NCERT’s core mandates. Curriculum renewal is a continuous process.
Thereafter, detailed syllabi for each class and subject are prepared. After this stage, textbook writing teams begin their work.
NCERT books are not written by a single author. They are developed through institutional committees known as Textbook Development Committees (TDCs), the report states.
These committees typically include:
- University academics and subject experts
- School teachers
- Pedagogy specialists
- Chief advisors and NCERT faculty
NCERT itself has clarified in past discussions that school textbooks are developed based on collective academic knowledge. Before any NCERT book reaches printing, it undergoes several layers of review.
