NCERT issues 'unconditional apology,' withdraws Class 8 textbook after SC ban over judiciary chapter

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has issued an unconditional and unqualified public apology and withdrawn its Class 8 Social Science textbook following strong objections from the Supreme Court over a chapter discussing the judiciary. The apology, published publicly, stated that the book titled Exploring Society: India and Beyond Grade 8 (Part-II), which contained the chapter “The Role of Judiciary in our Society”, had been completely withdrawn and is no longer available.

The controversy erupted after a section in the textbook referred to “corruption in the judiciary”, triggering sharp remarks from Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. Taking suo motu cognisance of the issue, the Supreme Court imposed a blanket ban on the book and ordered the seizure of all physical copies as well as the removal of digital versions. The Chief Justice said the court would not allow any attempt to undermine the integrity of the judiciary.

During the hearing, the court warned that unchecked developments of this nature could erode public faith in the judicial institution. The Chief Justice said the court would determine responsibility for the content and made it clear that accountability would follow. The bench emphasised that protecting the credibility and independence of the judiciary was essential to maintaining public trust in democratic institutions.

Following the controversy, NCERT halted the distribution of the textbook and acknowledged that certain inappropriate material had inadvertently appeared in the chapter due to an error of judgement. The council said it regretted the lapse and reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining accuracy, sensitivity and responsibility in educational content.

The textbook, released in February, had contained references linking challenges faced by the judicial system to issues such as corruption and case backlogs. The Supreme Court noted that while discussing such topics, the chapter did not adequately highlight the judiciary’s role in protecting constitutional values and ensuring access to justice.

The court also directed authorities to ensure that all copies of the book are removed from circulation and warned that any attempt to produce or distribute it would amount to a violation of its order. The matter remains under judicial scrutiny as the court continues to examine the circumstances surrounding the publication.