New Delhi, Mar 10: India’s NCERT issued a public apology Tuesday for a controversial Class 8 social science chapter on judicial corruption that drew sharp Supreme Court rebuke, promptly pulling the entire book from circulation.
The textbook, Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Grade 8, Part 2), included Chapter 4: “The Role of Judiciary in our Society,” highlighting corruption, case backlogs, and judge shortages as key challenges—content a three-judge bench led by CJI Surya Kant slammed as defamatory.
“We tender an unconditional apology… The entire book has been withdrawn and is not available,” NCERT stated, bowing to the court’s “complete blanket ban” on further publication or distribution after senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi flagged it.
CJI Kant fumed that no one could “defame the judiciary and taint its integrity,” likening the content to a “gunshot” leaving the institution “bleeding.” Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan echoed the outrage, vowing accountability and action against those responsible.
