After the Supreme Court banned the controversial NCERT Class 8 Social Science chapter on “judicial corruption” and issued contempt notices, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the government would fully comply with the court’s directions.
“We respect the judiciary, and whatever the court has said, we will fully comply with it. I am deeply saddened by what has happened and express my regret over the incident,” he said while speaking in Jamshedpur.
He added that as soon as the matter came to his notice, he directed NCERT to take corrective steps. “There was absolutely no intention to disrespect the judiciary, and the government had no such motive. We are taking this matter seriously, and an inquiry will be conducted,” he said.
Pradhan further stated that those involved in preparing the book and the concerned chapter would face appropriate action. “We have complete faith in the judiciary it is our constitutional and moral responsibility to abide by its directions,” he said, assuring citizens that the government remains committed to respecting the court’s orders.
WHAT THE SUPREME COURT HAD ORDERED
The remarks came after the Supreme Court of India imposed a blanket ban on the production and distribution of the revised Class 8 Social Science Part 2 textbook.
The court directed that all physical and digital copies be removed from public access immediately. It also ordered that no instruction be imparted from the withdrawn book in schools.
The NCERT Director was tasked with ensuring seizure of copies already sent to schools and filing a compliance report. Principal Secretaries of Education in all states were directed to implement the order and submit reports within two weeks.
In addition, the court sought the names and credentials of members involved in drafting the chapter and asked for the original minutes of meetings where the content was finalised. A show cause notice was issued to senior officials, asking why action — including under the Contempt of Courts Act — should not be initiated.
HOW THE CONTROVERSY BEGAN
The controversy centred on a chapter titled ‘The Role of Judiciary in our Society’ in the newly released 2026 edition of the Class 8 Social Science textbook.
The chapter referred to corruption allegations in the judiciary and highlighted case backlogs, citing thousands of pending cases in the Supreme Court, lakhs in High Courts and crores in district courts. It also explained the process of impeachment of judges.
After strong objections were raised, NCERT halted distribution of the book. Of the 2.25 lakh copies printed, only 38 were reportedly sold before the recall process began.
What began as a curriculum update under the National Education Policy reforms has now escalated into a matter of judicial scrutiny, administrative accountability and national debate over how institutions are portrayed in school textbooks.
