After announcing that a discussion on judicial corruption and the massive backlog of court cases will be included in its revised Class 8 Social Science textbook, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has apologised for what it described as a “purely unintentional” inclusion of “inappropriate material” in Class 8 Social Science textbook. This came after the Supreme Court sharply criticised a chapter referring to judicial corruption and directed that the book’s distribution be halted.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, 25 February 2026, NCERT said certain “inappropriate textual material” had inadvertently appeared in Chapter 4, The Role of Judiciary in our Society, of the newly released Social Science textbook Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Vol II.
“The error is purely unintentional and NCERT regrets the inclusion of inappropriate material in the said chapter. NCERT reiterates that the objective of the new textbooks is to strengthen constitutional literacy, institutional respect, and informed understanding of democratic participation amongst students,” the council said.
Following observations by the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education, NCERT said it had immediately placed the textbook’s distribution on hold and removed it from circulation. The chapter will now be rewritten in consultation with appropriate authorities and republished for students from the 2026–27 academic session.
NCERT emphasised that it holds the judiciary in the “highest esteem” as the guardian of the Constitution and protector of fundamental rights. “There is no intent to question or diminish the authority of any constitutional body,” the council said.
“As part of its continuous review process, NCERT remains open to constructive feedback… NCERT, once again, regrets this error of judgement and apologises while re-iterating our resolve to continuously work for institutional sanctity and respect,” it added.
NCERT regrets publishing text book containing chapter on judicial corruption.
NCERT says it will rewrite the chapter.
The development came after the #SupremeCourt expressed displeasure over the text book content. pic.twitter.com/knnb4bTlLF
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) February 26, 2026
The controversy erupted after a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant took suo motu cognisance of the issue when it was mentioned for urgent hearing by senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi.
Expressing strong displeasure, the Chief Justice described the textbook content as a serious matter and said the court would not allow any attempt to defame or question the integrity of the judiciary. He noted that he had received numerous messages, including from High Court judges, raising concern over the references.
The Class 8 Social Science textbook includes a section discussing corruption within the judiciary alongside India’s mounting case backlog.
In Chapter 4, The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society, the book outlines structural challenges facing courts, including judge shortages, procedural complexity and infrastructure gaps, and links these issues to concerns about public confidence in the justice system. References to how corruption can affect judicial credibility triggered objections from the judiciary.
The chapter also presents data on pendency, stating that the Supreme Court of India has roughly 81,000 pending cases. It adds that High Courts together face more than six million pending matters, while subordinate courts are burdened with over 40 million cases.
These passages prompted strong criticism from the Supreme Court, which viewed the references as objectionable, leading to the textbook’s withdrawal and planned revision.
Soruce: India Today
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