The Supreme Court of India faces a fresh plea after its action on an National Council of Educational Research and Training Class 8 book, with a former fellow challenging a passage in Social and Political Life – III for allegedly portraying the judiciary unfairly.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court’s recent stern action against an NCERT Class 8 textbook has prompted a new petition challenging a passage in another school book for allegedly portraying the judiciary unfairly.
A former NCERT Senior Associate Fellow has approached the top court objecting to a paragraph in the Class 8 textbook Social and Political Life – III, which has been prescribed nationwide since 2007.
Facts of the Case:
The petition comes on the heels of the Court’s February 26 order in a suo motu matter where it took strong exception to content in a different Class 8 Social Science book, Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Vol. 2). In that case, a Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant issued contempt notices to the Department of School Education and the NCERT Director over a chapter on “corruption in judiciary.” The Court warned that if the material was found to be a deliberate attempt to interfere with the administration of justice, it could amount to criminal contempt.
The current plea targets a passage on page 62 of Social and Political Life – III, in a chapter addressing the “judiciary’s role and the right to livelihood“. The contested sentence reads that “recent judgments tend to view the slum dweller as an encroacher in the city.”
Contentions Of the Petitioner:
The petitioner contends that this line presents eviction jurisprudence in a selective and decontextualized way, omitting the fact that courts must weigh competing constitutional rights, statutory duties and broader public interest considerations. He argues that introducing such a depiction in a foundational textbook for impressionable Class 8 students risks creating a one-sided impression that constitutional courts are insensitive or regressive.
The plea warns that uncontextualised content of this kind may damage public confidence in the judiciary and undermine its institutional dignity.
The petitioner notes his prior involvement in NCERT’s textbook development and his experience as a co-author and translator of textbooks. He says he is not approaching the Court as an adversary but as a “participant-witness” intending to help safeguard constitutional values in educational materials.
The plea points out that the book has been in circulation since 2007, which, it says, calls for urgent constitutional scrutiny. The matter is likely to be taken up together with, or as part of, the ongoing suo motu proceedings.
The petition was filed through advocates Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Raja Choudhary.
Earlier Issues and Court Order on NCERT books:
Earlier, the Supreme Court had 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.
In a press release, NCERT had expressed its regret for the error of judgment committed by keeping chapter titled ‘Role of the Judiciary in Our Society’ in the revised Class VIII civics, which went beyond explaining the hierarchy of courts and access to justice. and offered its apologies, reaffirming its commitment to uphold institutional sanctity and respect.
It also said that upon reviewing the copies of Chapter 4, titled “The Role of Judiciary in our Society” (pp. 125–142), found certain inappropriate content and an error of judgment for which the Department of School Education & Literacy (Ministry of Education) flagged the same concern and directed that further distribution of the book be suspended until further notice. NCERT has complied with this instruction.
National Council of Educational Research & Training also clarified that it holds the judiciary in the highest regard and views it as the guardian of the Constitution and protector of fundamental rights. The inclusion of the objectionable material was entirely inadvertent, and it regrets the lapse.
NCERT emphasized that the aim of the new textbooks is to promote constitutional awareness, respect for institutions, and an informed appreciation of democratic participation among students.
There was no intention to challenge or undermine the authority of any constitutional body. NCERT welcomed constructive feedback as part of its ongoing review process and will revise the chapter after consulting the appropriate authorities.
The corrected material will be made available to Class 8 students at the start of the 2026–27 academic session.
Previously, The Central government had decided to remove references to “corruption at various levels of the judiciary” from the NCERT Class VIII textbook, according to high-level government sources. The move comes after strong objections were raised by members of the legal fraternity and concerns were expressed in the Supreme Court of India.
Case Title: Dr Pankaj Pushkar vs. Union of India & Anr.
FOLLOW US FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES ON YOUTUBE