NCERT withdraws Class 8 book after SC flags ‘judicial corruption’ reference: All you need to know

Facing sharp criticism from the Supreme Court, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) on Wednesday apologised for what it termed a “purely unintentional” inclusion of “inappropriate material” in a Class 8 Social Science textbook and halted its circulation.

The move follows the court’s strong objections to a chapter that referred to judicial corruption, after which the bench ordered that distribution of the newly released book be stopped.

In a statement, NCERT said certain “inappropriate textual material” had inadvertently appeared in Chapter 4, The Role of Judiciary in our Society, of the textbook Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Vol II.

"The error is purely unintentional and NCERT regrets the inclusion of inappropriate material in the said chapter. NCERT reiterates that the objective of the new textbooks is to strengthen constitutional literacy, institutional respect, and informed understanding of democratic participation amongst students," it said.

The council added that following observations from the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education, the book’s distribution was immediately placed on hold and copies were withdrawn from circulation.

NCERT said the chapter would now be rewritten in consultation with appropriate authorities and reissued from the 2026–27 academic session.

Reaffirming its position, the council said it holds the judiciary in the “highest esteem” as the guardian of the Constitution and protector of fundamental rights.

“There is no intent to question or diminish the authority of any constitutional body,” the statement said.

"As part of its continuous review process, NCERT remains open to constructive feedback... NCERT, once again, regrets this error of judgment and apologises while reiterating our resolve to continuously work for institutional sanctity and respect," it added.

How the controversy unfolded

The matter reached the Supreme Court after senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi mentioned it for urgent hearing. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant took suo motu cognisance.

Expressing strong displeasure, the Chief Justice described the references as serious and indicated that the court would not permit any attempt to defame or question the judiciary’s integrity. He also noted receiving numerous messages, including from High Court judges, expressing concern.

What the textbook said

The chapter in question addressed structural challenges facing India’s judiciary, including corruption concerns and the growing backlog of cases.

It cited data stating that the Supreme Court has around 81,000 pending cases. High Courts collectively face over six million pending matters, while subordinate courts handle more than 40 million cases.

The text linked these structural pressures — including shortages of judges, procedural complexity and infrastructure gaps — to questions of public confidence in the justice system.

It was the references to how corruption could affect judicial credibility that triggered objections from the court, ultimately leading to the withdrawal of the book and the decision to revise the chapter.