The Supreme Court has barred three academics involved in drafting a controversial NCERT Class 8 Social Science chapter on “corruption in the judiciary” from participating in future publicly funded academic or curriculum work. The direction came during a hearing of a suo motu case concerning the chapter, which triggered a nationwide controversy over school textbook content.
Supreme Court Order on NCERT Judiciary Chapter Authors
A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, ordered the Union government, state governments, and public institutions to disassociate from the authors who prepared the chapter. The court said they should not be assigned any academic responsibilities involving public funds in the future. The three individuals involved in drafting the chapter were:
- Professor Michel Danino
- Suparna Diwakar
- Alok Prasanna Kumar
According to the court, the authors either lacked adequate knowledge of the judiciary or had presented information in a way that projected a negative image of the institution to students. The ruling also clarified that the authors may approach the court later to seek modification of the direction by submitting a proper explanation.
Controversy Over Class 8 NCERT Social Science Chapter
The dispute began after NCERT released a new Class 8 Social Science textbook titled “Exploring Society: India and Beyond”. One chapter discussed issues such as corruption in the judiciary, case backlogs, and institutional challenges within the judicial system. Following criticism and legal scrutiny, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the chapter and ordered the immediate withdrawal of the textbook from circulation. NCERT later issued an apology and withdrew the entire book while promising to review the content.
Court Questions Procedure Behind the Chapter
During the hearings, the Supreme Court also raised concerns about how the chapter was prepared and approved. The court noted that the content was not placed before the National Syllabus and Teaching Committee (NSTC) as required under the official curriculum development process. The bench observed that the draft chapter had been circulated among only a few members digitally instead of following the established institutional review procedure.
Expert Panel to Vet Revised Chapter
To ensure proper oversight, the court directed the government to constitute an expert panel to review any rewritten version of the chapter before it can be published again.The proposed panel should include:
- A former senior judge
- A distinguished academic
- A renowned legal practitioner
The panel will evaluate the revised chapter to ensure accuracy and balanced academic content before it is included in school textbooks.
Wider Debate on Curriculum and Academic Freedom
The Supreme Court’s order has triggered broader discussions in education and academic circles about curriculum oversight, academic independence, and how sensitive institutional issues should be presented in school textbooks. While the court emphasised that legitimate criticism of institutions is not prohibited, it maintained that curriculum material for young students must be accurate, balanced, and prepared through proper expert review processes.