US EditionNCERT: India's Supreme Court Bans Textbook for Referring to Judicial Corruption
- On Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026 the Supreme Court of India imposed a complete blanket ban on the Class 8 social science book and registered a suo motu case heard by a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.
- A bench statement said the chapter failed to acknowledge the imperative role of the judiciary and described its wording as potentially amounting to criminal contempt and a calculated move harming the judiciary's reputation.
- The court sought the names of those who drafted the chapter and the minutes of meetings, directing NCERT officials and principals to submit compliance reports within two weeks.
- The court warned that circulation has been paused and ordered NCERT to revise content before the 2026-27 academic session, with the matter to be taken up again after four weeks.
- NCERT issued an apology and withdrew the book on Wednesday, calling it an `error in judgement` after senior advocates Kapil Sibal and A.M. Singhvi flagged it; millions of schoolchildren use NCERT textbooks under the Central Board of Secondary Education.
56 Articles
56 Articles
From ‘corruption’ reference to contempt notice: Why Supreme Court banned NCERT’s Class 8 book
The new chapter discussed key challenges facing the judicial system, such as alleged corruption at different levels, a shortage of judges, complex legal procedures, and inadequate infrastructure.
The Independent
The Independent (US)India’s top court bans school text book with section on ‘corruption of judiciary’
In a chapter about the role of judiciary in Indian society, the textbook reportedly referred to topics like ‘judicial corruption’ and ‘complaints against judges’
SC bans NCERT book over judiciary corruption; orders seizure, digital takedown
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday, February 26, imposed a blanket ban on Class 8 NCERT book carrying a chapter on corruption in the judiciary, and ordered a seizure of all physical copies, along with takedown of its digital forms. The apex court ordered that the Centre and state authorities comply with its directions immediately, and warned of “serious action” if directions are defied in any form. The top court issued show-cause notices t…
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