Supreme Court imposes blanket ban on NCERT Class 8 textbook: Here's why

The Supreme Court banned a Class 8 textbook over "objectionable" content on the judiciary. The chapter cites corruption, case backlogs and shortage of judges as challenges facing the judicial system

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has come under scrutiny from the Supreme Court, which on Thursday imposed a blanket ban on Class 8 Social Science textbook carrying a chapter on corruption in the judiciary. The court also ordered the seizure of all physical copies and the takedown of its digital versions, reported PTI.

 

The apex court further called for "deeper probe" into the matter, saying that "no one will be allowed to go scot-free". The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, who had earlier described the chapter as "objectionable", said that there appears to be a deep-rooted, well-planned conspiracy to defame the judiciary, reported PTI.

 

The issue reached the court after senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi mentioned it for urgent consideration earlier this week.

 

What does the chapter say?

The chapter at the centre of the controversy refers to challenges faced by the judicial system, including corruption, a massive backlog of cases and a shortage of judges. A section titled "corruption in the judiciary" states that judges are bound by a code of conduct governing not only their behaviour in court but also their conduct outside it, reported PTI.

 

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the matter and said that nobody on earth would be permitted to defame the judiciary or taint its integrity. Hours after facing the apex court’s ire, the NCERT removed the Class 8 textbook from its website. The council also put the circulation of the book on hold.

 

Later in the day, the NCERT issued an apology, calling it an error of judgement. "It has been observed that certain inappropriate textual material and an error of judgement have inadvertently crept into the concerned chapter," a senior official said.

 

The council said it "holds the judiciary in the highest esteem and considers it to be the upholder of the Indian Constitution and protector of fundamental rights" and described the lapse as purely unintentional.

 

The statement further said that the chapter will be rewritten, with consultation of the appropriate authority.