NCERT's apology, seizure of 38 books: A blow-by-blow timeline of ‘judicial corruption’ chapter

THe sublime margaret court has strongly objected to a plane section on “ depravation in the judicatory” in a new Class 8 Social Science textbook by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), describing it as a “deep-rooted” and “calculated” affront to the institution.Despite NCERT’s apology, the court on Wednesday ordered the seizure of all copies, including those already sold, and issued show-cause notices to the council’s top officials, warning that any attempt to circulate the material would amount to contempt. Here’s a blow-by-blow timeline of how the controversy escalated.1. When SC took suo motu cognisanceChief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Wednesday informed the Bar that the Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognisance of a new section in the Class 8 Social Science textbook by NCERT discussing “corruption in the judiciary”.The CJI said, “I will not allow anyone on earth to defame the institution. Howsoever high they be, nobody is above the law. Do not worry… I know how to deal with it”. The remarks came in an open court after senior advocates urged intervention.Senior advocate Kapil Sibal told the bench, which also included Justice Joymalya Bagchi, that the Bar was “deeply disturbed”. “Children in Class 8 are being taught about ‘corruption in judiciary’. It is a part of the NCERT curriculum and their textbook,” Sibal submitted.CJI Surya Kant responded that he was aware of the matter. “I am fully aware of it. I can assure you…it definitely concerns the entire institution. All stakeholders, judges in high courts are equally perturbed and have brought it to my notice,” he said.He added that he had “already passed the order on the administrative side” and that the court was taking the matter suo motu.2. The controversial textbook contentThe dispute centres on the newly released Class 8 Social Science book titled Exploring Society: India and Beyond. A chapter called “The role of the judiciary in our society” lists “corruption at various levels of the judiciary” and a massive backlog of cases, around 81,000 in the Supreme Court, over 6.2 million in high courts, and nearly 47 million in district courts.As reported by HT earlier, the chapter also refers to judges’ codes of conduct, internal accountability mechanisms, and complaints received via the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS)—noting over 1,600 complaints between 2017 and 2021.Similar chapter in the previous edition, notably, based on the 2005 National Curriculum Framework, discussed delays and judicial structure but did not explicitly address corruption.The revision came as NCERT is revising textbooks in line with the National Education Policy, 2020, and the new National Curriculum Framework for School Education.3. Seizure and show-cause noticeOn Thursday, the Supreme Court ordered immediate seizure of physical copies and takedown of digital versions of the controversial textbook.It issued show-cause notices to the NCERT director and the secretary of the Department of School Education, asking why criminal contempt proceedings should not be initiated.Despite an apology by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and NCERT’s earlier statement expressing regret, the bench, also comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, said the response lacked remorse and appeared to justify the contents.“We have seen the NCERT notice, and there is not a simple word of apology in it. The way this director has drafted this notice, there seems no remorse but justification…It seems to be a deep-rooted conspiracy,” the bench observed.The government’s claim that two individuals involved in preparing the chapter would no longer be associated with the ministry was deemed a “very light action” by the court.4. NCERT apology and retrieval attemptAfter the SC's cognisance, NCERT issued an apology, acknowledging “inappropriate textual material and error of judgement,” and withdrew the book from distribution.The council emphasised that it “holds the judiciary in the highest esteem and considers it to be the upholder of the Indian Constitution and protector of Fundamental Rights.”According to ANI, NCERT is attempting to retrieve the 38 copies of the textbook that were sold. Of the 2.25 lakh copies printed, only 38 were sold while the remaining 2,24,962 were in inventory and have been recalled to the NCERT warehouse.5. Top court's actionThe court directed NCERT, in coordination with Union and state education departments, to ensure all physical and digital copies of the book were removed from public access. A complete ban on production and distribution was imposed, with any attempt to circulate the book constituting a wilful breach of the order.NCERT was instructed to effectuate seizure of all distributed copies and file a compliance report.Principal secretaries of education in all states were directed to ensure no instruction is imparted using the book and to report compliance within two weeks.The director was also asked to provide names and credentials of members of the National Syllabi Board who drafted the chapter and the original minutes of deliberations. The matter is slated for a hearing next month.