Chapter on ‘judicial corruption’: NCERT apologises, Class 8 textbook to be rewritten

The NCERT on Wednesday apologised for “inappropriate content” after facing the Supreme Court’s ire over a chapter talking about "judicial corruption" in a Class 8 textbook and said the book concerned will be rewritten in consultation with appropriate authorities.

The council, responsible for school education curriculum, also put on hold the circulation of the textbook, hours after it took the book off its website.

Also read: 'Won't allow anyone to defame institution': Supreme Court on NCERT Class 8 textbook row

“It has been observed that certain inappropriate textual material and error of judgement have inadvertently crept into the concerned chapter,” a senior official said.

The National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT) said it “holds the judiciary in highest esteem and considers it to be the upholder of the Indian Constitution and protector of fundamental rights” and termed the error as purely unintentional.

“The NCERT reiterates that the objective of the new textbooks is to strengthen constitutional literacy, institutional respect, and informed understanding of democratic participation amongst students. There is no intent to question or diminish the authority of any constitutional body,” it added.

“As part of its continuous review process, the NCERT remains open to constructive feedback.  And hence, the same shall be re-written, with consultation of the appropriate authority, as necessary, and would be made available to students of Class 8 accordingly on the commencement of academic session 2026-27,” it added.

“The NCERT, once again, regrets this error of judgement and apologises while re-iterating our resolve to continuously work for institutional sanctity and respect,” the statement said.

The book was released on February 23.

Officials confirmed that the sales were put on hold on Tuesday. There is also a discussion to drop the objectionable content from the textbook.  The book has introduced a section on “corruption in the judiciary” in the chapter titled “The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society”. The chapter lists the approximate number of pending cases in the Supreme Court (81,000), High Court (62,40,000), and district and Subordinate courts (4,70,00,000).

It states that judges are bound by a code of conduct that governs not only their behaviour in court but also their conduct outside it. The chapter highlights the judiciary’s internal accountability mechanisms and refers to the established procedure for receiving complaints through the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS).

According to the book, over 1,600 complaints were received through this mechanism between 2017 and 2021.

The textbook also quotes former Chief Justice of India B R Gavai, who in July 2025 said, “However, the path to rebuilding this trust lies in the swift, decisive and transparent action taken to address and resolve these issues... Transparency and accountability are democratic virtues.”