The Supreme Court of India, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, took suo motu cognizance on February 25 of a contentious chapter on judicial corruption in the NCERT Class 8 social science textbook, prompting the National Council of Educational Research and Training to pull the book from its website. The bench said the chapter’s selective focus on the judiciary risked damaging public confidence in an independent institution.
The chapter discussed problems facing the courts — including corruption, a large backlog of cases and a shortage of judges — and quoted former Chief Justice B.R. Gavai on the harm corruption does to public trust. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi told the Court the text unfairly singled out the judiciary while omitting corruption in the legislature, executive and bureaucracy.
Chief Justice Surya Kant voiced strong disapproval, saying he would not allow “anyone on earth” to taint the judiciary’s integrity. The bench said many high court judges had contacted the Chief Justice to express concern about the chapter’s content. Justice Joymalya Bagchi warned the textbook risked undermining the Constitution’s “basic structure” by compromising judicial independence.
While the Court acknowledged that transparency and accountability are important, it criticized the chapter for portraying corruption only within the judiciary — a choice the bench called inappropriate for material aimed at students. The report in the textbook included figures on pending litigation: about 81,000 cases in the Supreme Court, some 62.4 lakh in high courts and roughly 4.7 crore in district and subordinate courts.
The textbook also described internal complaint mechanisms, including the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System, which reportedly received more than 1,600 complaints between 2017 and 2021. The book cited Gavai as saying that swift, transparent action on misconduct is essential to rebuild trust; sources said Gavai was unhappy his remark had been used selectively and out of context.
Government sources said NCERT had not consulted the Union Law Ministry or cross-checked the chapter’s data against parliamentary records or the National Judicial Data Grid. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal told the Lok Sabha that between 2016 and 2025 some 8,639 complaints were filed against sitting judges, with 1,170 lodged in 2024 alone.
Officials argued that if corruption is to be taught, it should be presented across all branches of government and include guidance on reporting mechanisms rather than singling out the judiciary. NCERT said it is reviewing recommendations from subject experts and officials responsible for the chapter and is considering removing controversial material even from already printed copies.
Schools have not yet received formal guidance on whether to teach the contested sections. Former law minister Ashwani Kumar commended CJI Surya Kant for acting swiftly, saying the Court’s intervention would help prevent propaganda against the judiciary and reinforce public trust. The episode has revived debate over how textbooks should handle sensitive topics like corruption — balancing transparency and civic education with respect for independent institutions.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/02/26/ncert-pulls-chapter-on-judicial-corruption-after-cji-rebuke/
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Publish Date: 2026-02-26 05:48:00
