SC Flags NCERT Book on Judicial Corruption
- By Thetripurapost Desk, New Delhi
- Feb 25, 2026
- 791
Following strong observations by the Supreme Court, the sale of an NCERT textbook containing a chapter on “Judicial Corruption” has been suspended. Sources within the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) confirmed the development to ANI, while PTI reported that the contentious portion may be removed entirely.
According to officials, NCERT has convened an internal meeting comprising subject experts who recommended the chapter and authorities who approved it. The textbook has also been taken down from the official NCERT website. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi raised the matter before the apex court on Wednesday.
NCERT Chairman Dinesh Prasad Saklani has not yet issued a public response. A senior council official stated that since the matter is now sub judice, no further comments would be made.
Government sources indicated that although NCERT functions as an autonomous body, due diligence should have been exercised before incorporating such content. They argued that if corruption was to be discussed, the textbook should have examined all three branches of governance — the executive, legislature, and judiciary — rather than focusing solely on the judicial institution. Sources further noted that while data concerning judicial corruption is available in parliamentary records and through the National Judicial Data Grid, the Centre was not consulted for factual verification.
Details of the Controversial Chapter
On February 23, NCERT released a new Class 8 Social Science textbook titled Exploring Society: India and Beyond – Part 2, scheduled for implementation in the 2026–27 academic session. The first installment had been published in July 2025.
The book includes a section titled “Corruption in the Judiciary” within the chapter The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society. Rather than focusing primarily on the judicial hierarchy and mechanisms for access to justice, the chapter highlights systemic challenges such as corruption, case backlogs, and a shortage of judges.
A subsection titled “Justice Delayed is Justice Denied” underscores pendency statistics, citing approximately 81,000 cases in the Supreme Court, 6.24 million in High Courts, and 47 million in district and subordinate courts.
The chapter explains that judges are bound by a code of conduct governing both their professional and personal behaviour. It also outlines internal accountability mechanisms and the complaint redressal process through the Centralized Public Grievance Redressal and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS). According to the textbook, over 1,600 complaints were received through CPGRAMS between 2017 and 2021.
Additionally, the book details the constitutional provision for judicial removal through impeachment by Parliament, clarifying that such proceedings occur only after thorough investigation and with full opportunity for the concerned judge to present a defence.
The chapter states that corruption at various levels may aggravate difficulties in access to justice, particularly for economically weaker sections. It also acknowledges efforts by state and central governments to enhance transparency and public confidence through technological reforms and prompt action against misconduct.
The textbook quotes former Chief Justice of India B. R. Gavai, who in July 2025 remarked that corruption and wrongdoing within the judiciary undermine public trust. He emphasized that restoring credibility requires “swift, decisive, and transparent action,” adding that transparency and accountability are foundational democratic virtues.
Supreme Court’s Reaction
During the hearing, the bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Vipul M Pancholi, and Justice Joymalya Bagchi expressed serious concern.
Sibal argued that introducing allegations of judicial corruption to Class 8 students was condemnable. Singhvi contended that the content appeared to single out the judiciary while omitting corruption in politics and bureaucracy.
Chief Justice Surya Kant observed that the judiciary would not permit attempts to defame the institution, characterizing the issue as appearing to be a “well-planned and deeply rooted conspiracy,” and asserted that he would personally oversee the matter.
Textbook Withdrawal and Curriculum Changes
Following the Court’s remarks, the textbook is no longer accessible on the NCERT website. Reports indicate that offline sales were also halted from February 24. However, NCERT has not issued a formal public clarification.
The revised textbooks were developed under the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. New textbooks for Classes 1 to 8 were published in 2025, incorporating updated themes and replacing earlier content in the post-pandemic academic restructuring.