Supreme Court of India closes case over NCERT textbook controversy

The Supreme Court of India has closed its suo motu proceedings regarding a controversial chapter in an NCERT Class 8 Social Science textbook titled ‘Exploring Society: India and Beyond’. The chapter, ‘The Role of Judiciary in Our Society’, had contained a section referring to ‘corruption in the judiciary’.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, disposed of the matter after being informed that the contentious content has been replaced. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta notified the court that revised textbooks incorporating changes suggested by a government-constituted expert panel are already in circulation.

The court had previously taken cognizance of the issue, expressing concerns that the narrative could undermine the dignity of the judicial institution. During the proceedings, the court also clarified that certain previous remarks regarding the curriculum not being a collective decision were submissions made by the Solicitor General rather than formal judicial observations. This clarification followed concerns from legal counsel that such remarks could prejudice academicians involved in the curriculum development.