Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered a detailed inquiry to fix accountability for the inclusion of “corruption in the judiciary” content in NCERT’s new Class 8 Social Science textbook, questioning oversight and suitability for young students.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed deep regret, stating there was “no intention to disrespect the judiciary”, and promised strict action against those responsible after full compliance with Supreme Court orders.
he council has withdrawn the textbook, halted all distribution (physical and digital), recalled sold copies, and will rewrite the chapter in consultation with authorities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed senior officials to identify lapses and fix accountability over controversial references to “corruption in the judiciary” appearing in the National Council of Educational Research and Training’s (NCERT) freshly released Class 8 Social Science textbook.
The row erupted after the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of Chapter 4 — “The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society” — which listed corruption, massive case backlogs (over 81,000 in the Supreme Court alone) and shortage of judges as key challenges facing the institution. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant described the content as “objectionable”, part of a possible “well-orchestrated conspiracy” to defame the judiciary, and imposed a complete blanket ban on the book. The court ordered seizure of all physical and digital copies and issued show-cause notices to the NCERT Director and the Secretary, School Education.
Government sources said the Prime Minister, during a recent Cabinet meeting, expressed strong displeasure and asked, “Kaun dekh raha hai ye sab?” (Who is monitoring all this?) and “What are we teaching Class 8 students?” He instructed the Education Ministry to ensure accountability is fixed at the earliest.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, speaking to reporters, conveyed the government’s “utmost respect” for the judiciary. “I am deeply saddened by what has happened and express my regret,” he said. “There was absolutely no intention on the part of the government to disrespect the judiciary. An inquiry will be conducted, accountability will be fixed, and action will be taken against those involved.”
The Education Ministry has already written to the Information & Broadcasting Ministry and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to immediately stop any further dissemination of the book through digital platforms or media.
NCERT promptly apologised for the “inappropriate content”, removed the e-version from its website, and confirmed that of the 2.25 lakh printed copies, only 38 had been sold — all of which are being recalled. The offending chapter will be rewritten in consultation with relevant authorities and made available from the 2026-27 academic session.
