The National Council of Educational Research and Training has retrieved 31 out of 38 sold copies of its Class 8 Social Science textbook following a Supreme Court ban. The book, titled Exploring Society: India and Beyond Part 2, was withdrawn from sale a day after its release. The development follows a suo motu case registered by the Supreme Court of India over a chapter referring to “Corruption in the judiciary.”
Supreme Court Order on NCERT Class 8 Textbook
The textbook was released on Monday for the ongoing academic session and pulled from sale on Tuesday. The controversy arose from a section under the chapter “Role of Judiciary in Our Society.”
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant took serious exception to the content and stated that the institution would not allow defamation of the judiciary. On Thursday, the Supreme Court imposed a complete blanket ban on further publication, reprinting, or digital dissemination of the book. The court directed the NCERT Director and principals of schools where copies had reached to ensure immediate seizure and sealing of all copies. Compliance reports have been mandated.
NCERT Advisory and Retrieval Process
Following the halt in sales, staff from NCERT’s publication division initiated contact with all 38 buyers to facilitate the return of copies.
An advisory issued by NCERT Secretary Himanshu Gupta on Friday directed individuals and organisations in possession of the textbook to return it to the Head, Department of Education in Social Sciences (DESS) or the Publication Division at the earliest.
The advisory also requested deletion of any digital or social media content related to the chapter “Role of Judiciary in Our Society,” citing the court’s order and the withdrawal of the book. The Education Ministry confirmed that retrieval efforts are ongoing to ensure full compliance with the Supreme Court’s directive.