SC Pulls Up NCERT Over Content

Supreme Court objects to chapter on ‘corruption in judiciary’, CJI says integrity won’t be tainted

February 25, 2026: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has withdrawn its newly introduced Class 8 Social Science textbook from circulation following strong objections from the Supreme Court of India over a chapter discussing “corruption in the judiciary”. The move came after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant expressed serious concern, stating that no one would be allowed to defame or taint the integrity of the judicial institution. A three-judge bench comprising the CJI and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi took suo motu cognisance of the matter after senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi raised it for urgent hearing.

The contested chapter reportedly referred to corruption, case backlogs and the shortage of judges as challenges faced by the judiciary. A section titled “corruption in the judiciary” highlighted that judges are bound by a code of conduct governing their behaviour both inside and outside court. During the hearing, Sibal said members of the institution were “deeply disturbed” that Class 8 students were being taught about alleged corruption in the judiciary, calling it “entirely scandalous”. The CJI noted that he had received multiple messages from across the judicial fraternity, including high court judges who were perturbed by the content.

In sharp remarks, the CJI said he would not allow anyone “on earth” to defame the institution and assured that the law would take its course. Singhvi questioned what he described as a selective approach in the textbook, pointing out the absence of similar references to corruption in politics, bureaucracy or other sectors. Calling the inclusion a “calculated move”, he urged the court to intervene. Acknowledging the concerns, the bench reiterated that the matter impacted the entire judicial system and assured appropriate action.