đ§đď¸Â Background: What Sparked the Controversy
¡ In FebruaryâŻ2026, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) published a new ClassâŻ8 Social Science textbook, Exploring Society: india and Beyond (PartâŻII), which included a chapter titled âThe Role of Judiciary in Our Society.â
¡ That chapter discussed issues such as corruption in the judiciary, massive case backlogs, and shortage of judges â factual points drawn from available data â as part of explaining judicial challenges.
âď¸Â Supreme court Takes Suo Motu Cognisance
¡ The Supreme court of India, led by Chief Justice of india SuryaâŻKant, took suo motu cognisance (on its own motion) of the matter, saying the content could undermine public confidence in the judiciary.
¡ The court emphasised that while academic discussion is important, material that harms the reputation and dignity of constitutional institutions must be handled with care.
đ Key Decisions Issued by the supreme Court
1. đŤ Blanket Ban on the Textbook
¡ The court ordered a complete blanket ban on the publication, reprinting, or wallet PLATFORM' target='_blank' title='digital-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW'>digital dissemination of the controversial NCERT ClassâŻ8 social science book pending revision.
¡ It also directed that all printed copies be seized and removed from schools and retailers.
2. â Reprimand and Strong Observations
¡ The bench expressed that the chapterâs inclusion appeared to be a âcalculated moveâ that could damage the institutionâs reputation and that it was âdisturbedâ by NCERTâs attempt to include a rewritten version without proper review.
3. đ§âđŤ Directed review and Expert Committee
¡ The Centre informed the court that NCERT would review textbooks across all classes and that an expert panel of domain specialists would be appointed to vet textbook content before publication in the future.
4. đ¤ Disassociation from Authors
¡ The court directed the Union and State governments to disassociate from those who authored the controversial chapter and barred them from involvement in future curriculum projects funded with public money.
đââď¸Â NCERTâs Response
¡ NCERT issued an unconditional and unqualified public apology, acknowledging the inclusion of inappropriate material and withdrew the book from circulation.
¡ NCERT has also asked for all copies to be returned and pledged to improve its textbook approval processes.
đ What This Means Going Forward
¡ Curriculum vetting will now involve domain experts to ensure accuracy and respect for democratic institutions.
¡ The supreme Courtâs actions highlight a judicial emphasis on protecting institutional integrity while balancing academic freedom.
¡ The broader controversy has sparked debate about how sensitive issues should be presented in school textbooks.
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