The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) withdrew a newly released Class 8 Social Science textbook from sale after it included a section referring to corruption in the judiciary, The Indian Express reported. The book, titled ‘Exploring Society: India and Beyond – Part 2’, was released this week on Monday but was pulled from sale a day later, sources in the Education Ministry told the newspaper.
Staff at the publication division counter at the NCERT campus in Delhi said that the book, which had been available earlier this week, was no longer being sold, as per reports.
The chapter titled ‘The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society’ discussed challenges faced by the judicial system, including corruption and a “massive backlog" of cases due to factors such as shortage of judges, complex legal procedures and poor infrastructure.
CJI Raises Objection
CJI Surya Kant took serious exception to the reference during proceedings and said he would not allow the judiciary to be defamed.
“I will not allow anyone to defame the institution. I know how to deal with it," the Chief Justice said after senior advocates raised the issue in court, reports said. He added that he had taken cognisance of the matter and indicated concern over the portrayal.
What The Book Said
The textbook noted that judges are bound by a code of conduct and that mechanisms exist to address complaints, including the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System, which received over 1,600 complaints between 2017 and 2021. It also explained that Parliament has the authority to impeach judges after due inquiry in cases of serious misconduct. The book stated that corruption experienced at various levels of the judiciary could affect access to justice, particularly for disadvantaged sections and highlighted efforts to improve transparency.
The previous Class 8 Political Science textbook published by NCERT explained the structure, role and independence of the judiciary but did not mention corruption as a challenge.
