NEW DELHI, Feb 25: The Supreme Court of India, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, took suo motu cognizance of a controversial chapter on judicial corruption in the NCERT Class 8 social science textbook, prompting the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to withdraw the book from its website.
The chapter highlighted challenges faced by the judiciary, including corruption, a massive backlog of cases, and insufficient judges, quoting former Chief Justice BR Gavai on the negative impact of corruption on public confidence.
Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi brought the matter to the Court, arguing that the chapter unfairly singled out the judiciary while ignoring corruption in other institutions such as the legislature, executive, and bureaucracy.
The Chief Justice expressed strong disapproval, stating he would not allow “anyone on earth” to taint the judiciary’s integrity.
He noted that many high court judges had contacted him, expressing concern over the chapter’s content. Justice Joymalya Bagchi highlighted that the textbook undermined the constitutional “basic structure” by compromising the judiciary’s independence.
The bench emphasized that while transparency and accountability are vital, selective portrayal of corruption in the judiciary alone was inappropriate, particularly for students.
The book contained figures on pending cases: approximately 81,000 in the Supreme Court, 62.4 lakh in high courts, and 4.7 crore in district and subordinate courts.
It described the judiciary’s internal complaint mechanisms, including the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System, which had received over 1,600 complaints between 2017 and 2021.
It also cited Gavai, who had previously stated that addressing misconduct through swift, transparent action is critical to rebuilding public trust. Sources said Gavai was unhappy with the selective use of his quote, which had been taken out of context.
Government sources noted that the NCERT had not consulted the Union Law Ministry or cross-checked data against parliamentary records or the National Judicial Data Grid. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal informed the Lok Sabha that between 2016 and 2025, 8,639 complaints were filed against sitting judges, with 1,170 in 2024 alone.
Officials emphasized that if corruption were taught, it should include all branches of government and encourage reporting mechanisms rather than targeting the judiciary.
The NCERT is reviewing the recommendations of subject experts and officials responsible for the chapter and is considering removing controversial content from already printed books.
Schools have not yet received formal guidance on whether to teach the contentious portions.
Former law minister Ashwani Kumar praised CJI Surya Kant for acting promptly, stating that the Court’s intervention would help prevent propaganda against the judiciary and reinforce public trust in the institution.
This episode has reignited discussions on how sensitive topics like corruption should be handled in educational materials, balancing transparency with respect for independent institutions. (PTI)
