'Worried By NCERT Rewriting Chapter On Judiciary’: Supreme Court
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the government has asked the NCERT to review textbooks of all classes, not just Class eight.
By Sumit Saxena
Published : March 11, 2026 at 12:12 PM IST
|Updated : March 11, 2026 at 4:00 PM IST
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that it was worried by the stand of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) that the controversial chapter, which contained "offending" content on corruption in the judiciary, in the Class 8 social sciences book has been "rewritten" and that the revised chapter will be incorporated in the textbooks for the 2026-27 academic year.
The matter came up for hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi. The top court was hearing a suo motu case concerning NCERT's Class 8 social science book, which contained "offending" content on corruption in the judiciary.
The CJI said our worry is that you have rewritten the chapter now. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said not to give effect to it.
Justice Bagchi, citing NCERT's affidavit, said a paragraph says that you have rewritten the chapter in the textbook. The bench asked where the chapter is and who has done it? The NCERT director, who was present in the courtroom, informed the bench that they have experts and faculty members.
Mehta said, "That chapter will not go into the textbook unless the committee which your lordships have in contemplation examines not only this chapter but everything. Lordships can record my statement".
Justice Bagchi said, "The only thing which is troubling us is paragraph 15, where the director of NCERT says that after this was flagged, about the contents of chapter 4. Chapter 4 has been duly rewritten. We do not understand how and in what manner it was rewritten, who the persons were who have rewritten it, and what the present contents of that rewritten chapter are."
Justice Bagchi said that after the court expressed its concern with the contents of the chapter, the director of NCERT has come up with such a laconic statement.
Citing the NCERT's affidavit, the bench said the affidavit says that the revised chapter shall be incorporated in the academic session 2026-27, and shall be used for classrooms in all states in accordance with the applicable curriculum and academic framework.
"What is that applicable curriculum and academic framework?" asked the CJI. Mehta said that he can assure that nothing will go as a textbook without being vetted by a committee of domain experts, independent of the government.
The bench noted that Director NCERT has filed an affidavit tendering unconditional and unqualified apology on his own behalf and on behalf of NCERT.
Mehta earlier informed the bench that the NCERT has published a public apology for publishing the chapter and that the officers are present before the court. Mehta further stated that the NCERT has decided to review and revisit the chapters of all classes, and not just Class 8.
The bench observed that it would be better if the government itself constituted a high-level committee to revise the books. The bench said instead of leaving it to NCERT, we would have appreciated it if the Centre had constituted some high-level committee.
"This affidavit is eye-opening. Curriculum is issued without getting it approved at any level! If this is the casual way of publishing the curriculum for students in this country, Mr Solicitor, what do you expect from us?", said the CJI.
The bench was informed that the offending chapter was drafted under the chairmanship of Professor Michel Danino, visiting professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, and Suparna Diwakar and Alok Prasanna Kumar were also involved in the process of drafting the chapter.
Observing that Danino, Diwakar and Kumar do not have any reasonable knowledge about the judiciary, the bench directed that they should not be associated with any other project. The bench said there is no reason why such persons should be associated in any manner with the preparation of curriculum or finalisation of textbooks for the next generation.
The bench directed the Centre and all states to disassociate with them forthwith and not to assign any responsibility which involves public funds, and added that this order shall be subject to their approaching this court for modification with an explanation.
The bench directed that the Centre must revisit the composition of the National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC), especially those to whom the offending chapter was shown.
The bench strongly criticised the irresponsible content circulating in the media and directed the Centre to identify the websites involved and the persons operating them. The bench asked the Centre to furnish its complete details before it so that appropriate action can be taken.
The bench observed that the law must take its course against "mischief-mongers", and the court would not spare those responsible even if they were "hiding outside the country."
The bench also directed the Centre to constitute a committee of domain experts within a week to finalise the curriculum related to legal studies in NCERT textbooks. The bench said its orders in the matter were not intended to prevent any healthy and objective criticism of the judiciary's institutional function.
The bench said the panel of experts to finalise the curriculum related to legal studies would include a former judge, an academician and a renowned law practitioner. The bench asked the Centre to also associate the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, in finalising the curriculum related to legal studies.
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