The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has, for the first time, introduced a discussion on judicial corruption in its revised Class 8 Social Science textbook. The section appears in a chapter dealing with the role of the judiciary in society and marks a significant shift from earlier editions, which largely focused on the structure and functions of courts.
The updated book, Exploring Society: India and Beyond, was released on 23 February 2026. Unlike previous versions, the new chapter goes beyond institutional description to examine key challenges facing the judicial system, including corruption and the growing backlog of cases.
According to the textbook, pendency remains a major concern. It notes that more than 81,000 cases are pending before the Supreme Court, around 62.4 lakh in the High Courts, and approximately 4.7 crore in district and subordinate courts.
The chapter identifies corruption at various judicial levels and the massive case backlog as among the major challenges confronting the system. It attributes delays to factors such as an insufficient number of judges, complex legal procedures and inadequate infrastructure.
Earlier editions of the textbook did not include a dedicated discussion on corruption. They primarily explained judicial responsibilities, the concept of judicial independence, court hierarchy and access mechanisms. However, they did acknowledge that delays in hearings affect access to justice and referenced the well-known principle that justice delayed amounts to justice denied.
In the new edition, students are informed that judges operate under a formal code of conduct governing behaviour both inside and outside the courtroom. The text outlines the judiciary’s internal accountability mechanisms and refers to the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) as an established channel for complaints. It notes that more than 1,600 complaints were received through this mechanism between 2017 and 2021.
The book explains that in cases involving serious allegations, Parliament has the authority to remove a judge through an impeachment motion, which is considered only after a formal inquiry and after the concerned judge is given an opportunity to present a defence.
The chapter further acknowledges that instances of corruption are experienced at different levels of the judiciary and that such problems can worsen access to justice, particularly for poorer and disadvantaged sections. It adds that both the Union and state governments are pursuing measures to strengthen public trust and improve transparency, including the use of technology and prompt action against proven misconduct.
The text also notes that episodes of corruption and misconduct within the judiciary can adversely affect public confidence and potentially weaken trust in the institution. It cites observations made in July last year by former Chief Justice of India B. R. Gavai, who emphasised that restoring credibility depends on swift, transparent and decisive responses to wrongdoing and that transparency and accountability are essential democratic values.
Following a section on the importance of judicial independence, the textbook presents students with case-based exercises. One example discusses the Information Technology law framework. It explains that after the law came into force, the government introduced a provision allowing imprisonment for certain social media posts. A law student challenged the provision in 2015 on free speech grounds, and the Supreme Court later struck it down as unconstitutional and directed its removal.
Another example examines the electoral bonds scheme introduced in 2018 to enable political funding through bank-issued instruments redeemable by eligible political parties. The textbook notes that the Supreme Court invalidated the scheme, holding that voters have a right to know the sources of political funding.
Students are asked to analyse the role played by the judiciary in both instances and to explain the reasoning behind the court’s decisions.
The revised textbooks are part of NCERT’s broader overhaul aligned with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. New books for Classes 1 to 8 have already been released. The first part of the Class 8 Social Science textbook had earlier been issued in July 2025.
NCERT had previously rationalised older textbooks based on the 2005 framework by reducing content load following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Source: OpIndia
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