CJI Thanks Media Over NCERT Textbook Ban
The Supreme Court took suo motu notice of a controversial chapter on “corruption in judiciary” in an NCERT Class 8 social science textbook and has taken strong action against its publication while also commending the media for bringing the issue to public attention. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said timely media reporting highlighted concerns over the book’s contents and helped prompt judicial intervention.
CJI Surya Kant lauds media for NCERT textbook issue
Chief Justice Surya Kant thanked media organisations for highlighting the contentious NCERT Class 8 textbook chapter, saying their reporting helped draw judicial attention to the matter. He described the media’s role as constructive and positive in safeguarding constitutional values, adding that without such reporting, the reputational harm to the judiciary could have been significant.
Supreme Court orders ban on NCERT textbook
A three-judge bench led by CJI Surya Kant took suo motu cognisance of the textbook chapter and imposed a complete ban on the book’s publication, reprinting and digital dissemination. The court directed the seizure and sealing of all physical copies in circulation and the removal of digital versions nationwide. Show-cause notices were issued to the Secretary, Department of School Education and the NCERT Director, seeking explanations on why action under the Contempt of Courts Act or other laws should not be initiated against them.
Judicial integrity and accountability directions
The Supreme Court also ordered that no instruction be imparted to students based on the offending book and called for compliance reports from school principals and education officials. The bench said it will examine whether the apology tendered by NCERT was genuine or merely an attempt to evade consequences. The court sought names of persons involved in drafting the chapter and minutes of meetings related to its inclusion.
