NCERT Judiciary Chapter Row: SC Withdraws Remarks Against 3 Academics | Education and Career News
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Following the controversy, NCERT removed the disputed portions from the textbook, termed the inclusion a “wrong decision,” and stopped the book’s sale and distribution.
The NCERT faced a lot of flak for the controversial section on ‘corruption in judiciary’ in the new Class 8 social science textbook. (Image: News18)
The Supreme Court on Friday modified its earlier order in the controversy surrounding an NCERT Class 8 textbook chapter on the judiciary. While the court withdrew its strong remarks against three academics linked to the chapter, it maintained that the content included in the textbook was “completely inappropriate and unbalanced.”
The case involved Professors Michel Danino, Suparna Dwivedi, and Alok Prasanna Kumar, who were associated with drafting the judiciary chapter in NCERT’s Class 8 textbook Exploring Society: India and Beyond.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre and state governments to distance these experts from academic activities. That direction has now been withdrawn. The top court observed that the chapter portrayed the judiciary negatively while failing to mention its positive contributions, prompting the court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul Pancholi said the chapter contained “unnecessary and incorrect” material. However, the bench decided to remove its earlier harsh observations against the academics after considering the clarifications submitted by them.
The court also withdrew its earlier remark that the experts had “deliberately distorted facts.” It clarified that governments and educational institutions are now free to independently decide whether to engage with these academics in the future.
Following the controversy, NCERT removed the disputed portions from the textbook, termed the inclusion a “wrong decision,” and stopped the book’s sale and distribution.
The Supreme Court has also constituted a new expert committee to review the legal studies curriculum for Classes 8 and above. The panel includes former Supreme Court judge Indu Malhotra, senior advocate K.K. Venugopal, and HNB Garhwal University Vice-Chancellor Prakash Singh.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the government did not wish to continue working with the experts involved in preparing the chapter. He also claimed that some other textbooks contained objectionable cartoons and content unsuitable for children.
Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Professor Michel Danino, argued that the earlier order had been passed without giving him a hearing, thereby harming his reputation. Alok Prasanna Kumar, representing the book’s editor, maintained that the chapter was not written with malicious intent and aimed to discuss challenges faced by the judiciary.
Justice Bagchi observed that while the chapter focused on the judiciary’s shortcomings, it failed to discuss important aspects such as access to justice, legal aid, and constitutional values. According to the court, the lack of balance in the chapter was the core issue.
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