New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on February 26, 2026, took suo motu cognizance of the Social Science Textbook for Grade 8 (Part 2) titled “Exploring Society: India and Beyond,” published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in February 2026, and imposed a complete blanket ban on any further printing or digital dissemination of the book.
A bench comprising the Chief Justice of India, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi also issued show-cause notices to the Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India, and to Professor (Dr.) Dinesh Prasad Saklani, Director, NCERT, as to why action under the Contempt of Courts Act or other penal laws should not be initiated against them and all those found responsible for introducing the offending chapter in the book.
The Court was moved to take cognizance following a report published in The Indian Express on February 24, 2026, regarding the release of the said textbook. The bench noted that Chapter 4 of the book, titled “The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society,” incorporates a sub-topic explicitly expounding on “Corruption in the Judiciary.” The Court recorded that while it was reluctant to reproduce the full contents of the chapter, the text made prominent reference to hundreds of complaints received against the judiciary, creating the impression that no action had been taken on such complaints. The chapter also picked select words from a statement of a former Chief Justice of India, suggesting that the judiciary itself had acknowledged a lack of transparency, accountability, and institutional corruption. The text further stated that people experience corruption at various levels of the judiciary.
Upon learning of the publication, the Secretary General of the Court was asked to verify whether such a book had indeed been released by NCERT. The Court noted with significant disapproval that instead of displaying any introspection regarding the contents of the book, the Director of NCERT responded in writing defending the contents. The Court described the manner in which the book had been written as reckless, irresponsible, contemptuous, and motivated, and observed that the administrative response of the NCERT Director, when read in conjunction with the book’s contents, revealed a discernible agenda to undermine the institutional authority and dignity of the judiciary.
The Court further observed that while the publication dedicates an entire chapter to the role of the judiciary in society, it conspicuously omits the substantive contributions made by the Supreme Court, the High Courts, and the District Courts towards the preservation of the democratic fabric of the nation. The bench noted that the text fails to acknowledge the imperative role of the judiciary in upholding Constitutional Morality and the Basic Structure Doctrine, and also chooses not to delve into the transformative initiatives and measures pioneered by the Court in overhauling legal aid mechanisms and streamlining access to justice.
The Court, however, clarified that the suo motu proceedings were not initiated to stifle any legitimate critique or to bring to task any individual or organisation exercising their right to scrutinize public institutions, including the judiciary. The bench affirmed that dissent, deliberation, and rigorous discourse constitute the vitality of a living democracy and serve as essential instruments of institutional accountability. The intervention, the Court stated, arose from the imperative to safeguard the pedagogical integrity of the national curriculum, as young students in their formative years are only beginning to navigate the nuances of public life and the constitutional architecture that sustains it. The Court held that it was fundamentally improper to expose them to a biased narrative that may engender permanent misconceptions at an age when they lack the perspicacity to appreciate the manifold and onerous responsibilities discharged by the judiciary. The Court also observed that embedding such decontextualised text within a nationwide middle school curriculum risked systemic erosion of institutional faith in the minds of students, teachers, parents, and society at large.
The Court further noted that if proved to be deliberate, the conduct would fall within the definition of criminal contempt under Section 2(c) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, as it would amount to impeding the dignity of the institution and interfering with the administration of justice.
The Court also took note of subsequent developments, including a press release issued by NCERT stating that the Department of School Education and Literacy had directed that the distribution of the book be kept on strict hold, that the offending chapter would be rewritten in consultation with appropriate authorities, and that an apology had been tendered. The Court, however, reserved its consideration of whether the apology was genuine or merely a ruse to evade consequences, particularly given that substantial irreversible damage had already been done.
By way of directions, the Court ordered NCERT, in coordination with the Union Government and concerned State Education Departments, to ensure that all copies of the book in hard or soft form presently in circulation, including those held in storage, retail outlets, or educational institutions, be forthwith seized and removed from public access.
The Union of India was directed to ensure immediate removal of the book from physical and digital platforms, with a compliance report by way of affidavit to be placed on record. The Court made it the personal responsibility of the Director of NCERT and the Principal of every school where the book had been circulated or prescribed to effectuate the immediate seizure and sealing of all physical and digital copies and to ensure no further pedagogical instructions are imparted based on its contents.
The Principal Secretaries of the Departments of Education across all States and Union Territories were directed to comply and submit compliance reports through affidavits within two weeks. Additionally, the Court also imposed a complete blanket ban on any further publication, printing, or digital dissemination of the book, and clarified that any attempt to circumvent the order through electronic media or alternative titles containing the same contents shall be treated as wilful breach and defiance of its directions.
The Director of NCERT was further directed to submit a comprehensive list of members of the National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee who approved the offending chapter, the names and credentials of the Textbook Development Team responsible for drafting Chapter 4, and the original records of the minutes of all meetings where the chapter was deliberated and finalised. The matter is listed for further consideration on March 11, 2026.
Case Title: In Re: Social Science Textbook for Grade 8 (Part 2) Published by NCERT and Ancillary Issues, Suo Motu Writ Petition (Civil) No. 1 of 2026.
