'Judiciary was attacked'; Supreme Court bans controversial textbook

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has banned a controversial Class 8 Social Science textbook by NCERT that referred to corruption in the judiciary. The apex court reacted strongly, saying the content amounted to an attack on the judiciary and expressed serious concern over its impact.

The court said the issue must be investigated in depth and strict action should be taken against those responsible. It observed that allowing such moves would damage the sanctity of the judiciary. To prevent further circulation of what it described as defamatory content, the court ordered a complete ban on the textbook. It directed that all hard and soft copies be immediately withdrawn from book depots, retail outlets, and educational institutions. NCERT has been asked to act in coordination with the Centre and state governments. State Principal Secretaries have been told to submit compliance reports within two weeks. The court also said the book must not be reprinted or shared digitally, and strict action will be taken against circulation on social media.

The case was taken up suo motu by a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi. The bench observed that the controversial passage prima facie amounted to criminal contempt of court. Show-cause notices were issued to the NCERT Director and the Secretary of the Education Ministry, asking them to explain why action should not be taken. The court also sought the names of those who prepared the content and the minutes of discussions related to the lesson.

Book silent about those misusing public funds

1. The court further noted that the textbook made no mention of the judiciary’s role in strengthening democracy.
2. It also expressed concern that the lesson was silent about high-ranking officials who faced action from the court for corruption and misuse of public funds
3. The court said the choice of words and expressions in the textbook could not be seen as accidental.

Was the apology genuine?
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that NCERT had withdrawn the textbook and issued a public apology. However, the Supreme Court said it would examine whether the apology was genuine or an attempt to avoid legal action.

Reports also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed dissatisfaction over the controversial content and questioned senior officials in the Education Ministry about how such material was handled. He reportedly directed that those responsible for the lapse should be found.

In 2007, an organisation named Transparency International had found that the Judiciary was the second most corrupt institution. Suppressing discussions would only increase public perception about corruption.
-Adv. Prasant Bhushan

We agree with the Supreme Court’s observations. Strong action will be taken against those responsible.
-Dharmendra Pradhan
Union Education Minister