New Delhi: The Central Government on Friday informed the Supreme Court of India that it has constituted a high-level committee comprising eminent legal experts to redraft the controversial chapter on the judiciary in NCERT textbooks. This development follows intense judicial scrutiny and the registration of a suo motu case by the apex court over “offending” content in a Class 8 Social Science textbook.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, made the submission before a three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi. He informed the Court that the committee will include former Attorney General for India and Senior Advocate K.K. Venugopal, former Supreme Court judge Justice Indu Malhotra, and the Director of the National Judicial Academy and former Supreme Court judge, Justice Aniruddha Bose.
The committee has been tasked with reviewing and redrafting the curriculum relating to legal studies in NCERT textbooks, with particular focus on the chapter titled “The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society” in the book Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Class 8, Vol. 2). The textbook had included a section discussing “corruption in the judiciary,” which the Supreme Court viewed as a matter of serious institutional concern.
The Solicitor General clarified that the revised chapter will not be introduced into the syllabus unless it is thoroughly vetted and approved by this independent committee of domain experts. He further stated that the committee will also include a Vice-Chancellor to provide an academic perspective to the redrafting process.
During earlier proceedings, the Supreme Court had expressed strong dissatisfaction with the manner in which the content was approved. The Bench observed that the approval process appeared “casual” and noted with concern that no eminent jurists were involved in drafting a chapter meant to educate students about the judiciary.
The controversy began in late February when the Court took cognisance of the textbook content following submissions by Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi. The Court subsequently imposed a blanket ban on the production, printing, and digital dissemination of the book and ordered the seizure of all copies from schools and libraries.
Chief Justice Surya Kant had earlier remarked that the content appeared to be a “calculated move” and a “deep-rooted conspiracy” to defame the judiciary. He observed that while fair criticism is permissible, a biased narrative should not be presented to young students whose understanding of democratic institutions is still developing.
In response, the National Council of Educational Research and Training issued an unconditional and unqualified apology. NCERT Director Dr. Dinesh Prasad Saklani filed an affidavit stating that the inclusion of the material was an inadvertent error of judgment and confirmed that the book had been withdrawn from circulation.
As part of accountability measures, the Supreme Court directed the Central and State Governments to disassociate themselves from the experts who had drafted the original chapter. The individuals identified—Professor Michel Danino, Suparna Diwakar, and Alok Prasanna Kumar—were barred from participating in future publicly funded academic projects.
The Court observed that these individuals appeared to lack sufficient understanding of the judiciary and questioned their role in preparing educational material for students. NCERT later confirmed that they would not be associated with any of its future activities.
The Bench also expressed concern over irresponsible content circulating on social media regarding the Court’s orders. It directed the Government of India to identify those responsible, stating that appropriate legal action must follow and that such conduct would not be tolerated, even if originating from outside the country.
The Solicitor General assured the Court that the revised content would be introduced only for the 2026–27 academic session after completion of the committee’s review. He added that the government has directed NCERT to review textbooks across all classes to prevent similar issues in the future.
Upon being informed about the constitution of the committee and its members, the Supreme Court expressed satisfaction and disposed of the suo motu proceedings. The Court emphasised that educational material should promote constitutional values and foster respect for institutions among students.
Case title: In Re: Social Science Textbook for Grade 8 (Part 2) Published by NCERT and Ancillary Issues; Dr. Pankaj Pushkar v. Union of India and Anr., Diary No. 13060 of 2026.
