The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has withdrawn the new social science textbook from its website following concerns raised by the Supreme Court over certain references to the judiciary.
The development came after a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of what it described as “objectionable” content relating to the judicial system. According to sources cited by PTI, the government has expressed serious reservations about the material, and the contentious portions may be revised or removed.
The bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, examined the issue after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, along with Abhishek Singhvi, sought urgent consideration of the matter.
Law Ministry Not Consulted, Quote Controversy Emerges
The textbook reportedly cited data on case backlogs and the shortage of judges, and also referenced remarks attributed to former Chief Justice of India B. R. Gavai in a section discussing “judicial corruption.” Government sources indicated that while such data is available in parliamentary records and the National Judicial Data Grid, the Union Law Ministry was allegedly not consulted for fact verification.
Sources further claimed that the quotation attributed to Gavai may have been taken out of context, with reports suggesting that the former CJI was displeased with its usage. In July 2025, Gavai had spoken about instances of corruption and misconduct affecting public confidence in the judiciary, emphasizing transparency and accountability as essential democratic values.
CJI Objects, NCERT Initiates Review
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant is said to have strongly objected to the chapter on “judicial corruption,” underscoring that the judiciary’s integrity must not be undermined. Following the court’s intervention, NCERT reportedly convened an internal meeting to review the chapter, including inputs from subject experts and those involved in its approval process.
Government sources noted that although NCERT functions as an autonomous body, greater caution should have been exercised. They added that if corruption was to be addressed, it should have been framed more broadly to include all three pillars of democracy — the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary.
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