NCERT’s new Class 8 chapter on ‘judicial corruption’ sparks row, CJI warns against defaming court

A new Class 8 NCERT Social Science textbook has triggered sharp reactions within the judiciary after introducing a section on “judicial corruption” and case backlogs, prompting the Chief Justice of India to take suo motu cognisance of the issue.

The revised book, released by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), for the first time includes a detailed discussion on corruption within the judiciary and the mounting pendency of cases across courts. The updated edition, approved after deliberations within the Council, is expected to reach schools soon.

The development came up before the Supreme Court after senior advocate Kapil Sibal drew attention to the inclusion of “judicial corruption” in a school textbook.

“We as senior members of this institution are very disturbed at ‘judicial corruption’ being part of the Class 8 books,” Sibal said.

CJI responds to the new chapter

Responding to the concerns, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said the court was already aware of the matter and had been receiving messages from across the judicial system.

“I’m getting a lot of calls and messages about this, also from judges of the HCs,” the CJI said.

He then made the court’s position clear: “I will not allow anyone to defame and question the integrity of the judiciary.”

"A serious matter"

Calling it a serious matter, the CJI described the development as a direct challenge to the institution.

“It seems to be a calculated and deep-rooted attack on the judiciary. We will not allow anyone to target the judicial institution,” he said, adding that action would be taken regardless of how high the matter reached.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi also raised objections, arguing that the framing appeared selective.

“It’s as if corruption exists only in the judiciary. There is no word about politicians, ministers, bureaucrats or anyone else,” Singhvi told the bench.

"The selectivity, my Lord. The selectivity... It is there in other areas also but judicial corruption," Singhvi added. Justice Joymalya Bagchi responded, “Constitutional integrity to the basic structure is missing in the structure of the book.”

What the new textbook says

The chapter, titled The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society, retains the earlier focus on the judiciary’s structure and constitutional role but expands the discussion to include accountability mechanisms and systemic challenges.

It identifies corruption as a serious issue affecting judicial credibility and explains the scale of pending cases across courts. According to the revised text, the Supreme Court has around 81,000 pending cases. High Courts together have over 6 million pending matters, while lower courts face more than 40 million cases.

The book outlines reasons for the backlog, including a shortage of judges, procedural complexity, and infrastructural constraints.

It also explains how judges of High Courts and the Supreme Court can be held accountable, detailing the Code of Conduct, complaint processes, and the removal mechanism. The chapter further highlights how courts have struck down parliamentary laws found unconstitutional, thereby reinforcing the doctrine of the separation of powers between the legislature, executive, and judiciary.

The updated edition has been cleared and will soon be available in schools, even as the issue has opened a new flashpoint between the judiciary and the executive.