Orders seizure of physical, digital copies
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday imposed a ban on an NCERT Class 8 Social Science book that carries a controversial chapter on alleged corruption in the judiciary. An apex court bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, while hearing the matter, today ordered the seizure of physical and digital copies of the NCERT book in circulation.
The court also issued a show cause notice to the director of the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the school education secretary to explain why action should not be taken over the publication of the book with the said chapter.
Such misconduct, having an everlasting impact on the judiciary, would fall within the definition of criminal contempt, the court remarked, while warning that serious action would be taken if directions on the blanket ban on the book are defied in any form.
The court also barred the further publication of the NCERT book having the “offending chapter” on the judiciary in both physical and digital form.
“They have fired the gun and the judiciary is bleeding today. Today, anybody can say anything. At times, there is a mounting attack on us, and we are aware of it. The material is available online, on the internet, and even in stores. This is a very calculated move — the entire teaching will be dictated. When you look at how the Indian judiciary is portrayed as corrupt, it becomes evident what message is being sent. The entire teaching community will first be instructed that this is what they have to teach. In reality, not a single section of society has been left untouched. It is a deep-rooted, well-planned, and orchestrated conspiracy,” the CJI said, reported ANI.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, meanwhile, offered to tender a fresh unconditional apology through public notice.
The court will hear the suo motu case on the NCERT Class 8 book next on March 11.
The court order came a day after the NCERT decided to withdraw its newly released Class 8 Social Science textbook after “inappropriate textual material and error of judgement” were identified in the particular chapter on the judiciary.
The NCRT decision came after the apex court’s strong remarks on the book during an earlier hearing this week.
The Class 8 book is among the new set of textbooks being introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF). NCERT has been releasing these revised editions in phases, reworking both the content and classroom approach.
The NCERT yesterday stated in a statement that the book, ‘Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Vol II’, was released on February 24, 2026.
“However, upon receiving the textbook, it was observed that certain inappropriate textual material and error of judgement had inadvertently crept into Chapter No 4, entitled ‘The Role of Judiciary in our Society’ (pages 125-142). The aforesaid error is purely unintentional and NCERT regrets the inclusion of inappropriate material in the said chapter,” the statement said.
“There is no intent to question or diminish the authority of any constitutional body. As part of its continuous review process, NCERT remains open to constructive feedback. And hence, the same shall be re-written, with consultation of the appropriate authority, as necessary, and would be made available to students of Class 8 accordingly on the commencement of academic session 2026-27,” the statement added.
NCERT said it decided to withdraw the book upon receiving instructions from the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education to keep the distribution of the book strictly on hold.
However, it has been reported that a total of 2.25 lakh copies of the book were printed, of which only 38 have been sold. The remaining 2,24,962 are in the inventory.
The NCERT has recalled all unsold copies to its warehouse, and officials have been tasked with efforts to trace and recover the sold copies as well.
Further, the controversial chapter will now undergo revision after consultations with appropriate authorities. The NCERT plans to make the book available in time for the upcoming 2026–27 academic session.
Agencies