New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has imposed a complete ban on a Class 8 NCERT Social Science textbook over content relating to corruption in the judiciary, prompting Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to assure strict action against those responsible.
The top court also ordered seizure of all distributed copies, observing that the content raised concerns about an attempt to malign the judiciary.
‘No intent to disrespect judiciary’
Pradhan said the government holds the judiciary in the highest regard and had no intention of undermining the institution.
Speaking to reporters in Jamshedpur, he expressed regret over the episode and said accountability would be fixed after a detailed probe. “As soon as the issue came to light, distribution of the books was stopped,” he said, adding that the Centre would fully comply with the court’s directions.
What the court said
During the hearing, Chief Justice Surya Kant reportedly remarked that the judiciary had been “wounded” by the content included in the lesson.
What triggered the row
The Class 8 Social Science textbook published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) mentioned corruption, case backlog and shortage of judges as key challenges facing the judicial system.
Reiterating the government’s position, Pradhan said that in a democracy like India, the judiciary is supreme and must be accorded complete respect.
