Today, On 25th February, The Supreme Court sharply criticised the new Class 8 NCERT Social Science textbook for sections alleging “corruption in the judiciary,” with CJI Surya Kant taking suo motu note. He said, “I will not allow anyone to defame the institution. Law will take its course.”
The Supreme Court expressed strong disapproval regarding certain segments of a newly released Class 8 Social Science textbook by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) that mention “corruption in the judiciary.”
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant stated that the Court is taking suo motu notice of this issue.
CJI Kant stated,
“Bar and bench all are perturbed. All High Court judges are perturbed. I will take up the matter suo motu. I will not allow anybody to defame the institution. Law will take its course,”
As reported by media the textbook contains a section devoted to “corruption in the judiciary” within a chapter discussing “The role of the judiciary in our society.”
This chapter outlines various forms of judicial corruption and mentions significant challenges faced by the judicial system, such as a backlog of cases due to insufficient judges, complex legal procedures, and inadequate infrastructure.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal brought this matter to the Court’s attention today, noting,
“NCERT is teaching class 8 students about judicial corruption. This is a matter of grave concern. We are here for the bar.”
CJI Kant acknowledged the Court’s cognizance of the issue, asserting,
“As head of the institution. I have done my duty and I have taken cognizance. This seems to be a calculated move. I won’t say much.”
Justice Joymalya Bagchi referred to this as an attack on the Constitution’s fundamental structure, commenting,
“The book seems to go against the basic structure itself.”
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi also criticized the NCERT’s decision, stating,
“The selectivity my lord. The selectivity.. it is there in other areas also but judicial corruption!”
NCERT stands for National Council of Educational Research and Training. It is an autonomous organisation under the Government of India that designs and publishes school textbooks, especially for CBSE schools.
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