NCERT asks public to return Class 8 Social Science book after SC order

THe subject Council of Educational explore and preparation (NCERT) on fri requested individuals and organisations having the division 8 Social Science Part 2 textbook or any material related to it to return it at the earliest possible.This comes a day after the Supreme Court ordered the immediate seizure of physical copies and the takedown of digital versions of a controversial Class 8 Social Science textbook carrying a section on “corruption in the judiciary”.In a media advisory issued on Friday, NCERT requested that whoever has purchased the textbook titled “Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Social Science Grade 8 Part 2” return it to the head, Department of Education in Social Sciences (DESS), or the Publication Division of NCERT at Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi, at the earliest possible.“We also request that any content related to the chapter ‘Role of Judiciary in Our Society’, if posted on any social media or digital platforms, may be deleted at the earliest possible,” reads the advisory issued by NCERT Secretary Himanshu Gupta. “It is being reiterated that the NCERT has withdrawn the textbook,” the advisory added.This came after the Union Education Ministry on Thursday wrote to the secretaries of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), seeking immediate action to stop the dissemination of the now-withdrawn Class 8 Social Science textbook through digital platforms and electronic media.The development follows a Supreme Court order on its suo motu writ petition over the Class 8 textbook. “The Union of India and its agencies will ensure that the book is removed immediately from the physical and digital platforms without any delay, and a compliance report by way of an affidavit is placed on record,” the apex court ordered on Thursday.The SC also issued show-cause notices to the NCERT director and the Secretary, Department of School Education, asking why criminal contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them.During the hearing in the Supreme Court on Thursday morning, Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta told the judges that a total of 32 books had gone on sale and “they are being withdrawn.”The Supreme Court has called for action against those who wrote the chapter, and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has also promised strict action.NCERT had released the book on Monday and apologised on Wednesday for “inappropriate content” in one of its chapters, stating that it would be rewritten in consultation with appropriate authorities.