New Delhi, March 11 The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed its concern that the NCERT believes the controversial chapter in the 8th grade social science textbook, which contains "offensive" content about corruption in the judiciary, has been "properly rewritten".
The Supreme Court cited the affidavit filed by the NCERT's director, which states that the revised chapter will be included in the upcoming 2026-27 academic session and will be used in classrooms according to the applicable curriculum and framework.
"We are also concerned with the statement made by the NCERT director in paragraph 15 of the affidavit," said the bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant.
"We direct that if the 4th chapter of the textbook has been rewritten, it will not be published unless it has been approved by a committee of domain experts," the bench, also comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, said.
The bench stated that it has not been informed, either through the affidavit or otherwise, who the alleged subject experts/domain experts are who have "rewritten" the chapter and who has approved its inclusion in the 2026-27 academic session curriculum.
The bench observed that such an action is likely to create more complexity regarding objective, transparent, honest, and impartial information that should be included in the curriculum regarding the judiciary or any other institution.
The bench was hearing a suo moto case concerning the NCERT's 8th grade social science textbook, which contains "offensive" content about corruption in the judiciary.
The affidavit filed by the NCERT director states that, in light of the directions issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, through a letter dated February 27 to the NCERT, the "relevant chapter 4 of the subject textbook has been properly rewritten".
During the hearing, the bench expressed its concern that the affidavit states the chapter has been "properly rewritten".
"Who did it?" the bench asked.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the bench that the chapter will not be included in the textbook unless the committee of domain experts examines not only this chapter but everything.
The bench questioned how and in what manner the chapter was rewritten after the concern expressed.
"I can assure that nothing will be included without being vetted by the committee of domain experts," the law officer said.
In his affidavit filed in the court, Professor Dinesh Prasad Saklani, Director of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), has unconditionally apologized for including the controversial chapter in the 8th grade social science textbook.
He said the chapter was drafted by the textbook development team under the chairmanship of Professor Michel Danino and consisting members Suparna Diwakar and Alok Prasanna Kumar.
"I state and submit that the above-mentioned individuals will not be associated with any activity of NCERT hereafter," the affidavit said.
It said the chapter was to be reviewed by members of the National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC), which consists of 19 members.
The affidavit said that it has emerged that the textbook which included the chapter was not placed before the committee and the members of the textbook development team had circulated the same only among a few members digitally.
"I state that this is a major and unpardonable lapse and that it should be ensured that this does not happen again," the NCERT director said.
The affidavit gave the status of the printed copies of the textbook seized and sealed.
It said that a total of 82,440 copies of the textbook were printed and 38 copies were sold to retail customers, which have been retrieved.
The affidavit said that 82,425 books were seized and sealed and were kept in NCERT warehouses.
It further said that 15 books were available with the ministry and the NCERT Director's office.
It said that a total of 82,440 copies were tracked and the total number of CTP plates were six, which have been destroyed, seized and sealed and kept in the publication division of NCERT.
"It is humbly stated that in view of the above, the deponent in the capacity of being Director, NCERT has taken all necessary and urgent steps to implement the order as passed by this court concerning immediate seizure and sealing of the textbook in both physical and digital form within the premises of NCERT," it said.
The affidavit said that the NCERT has not circulated the textbook to any schools and teaching institutions for imparting pedagogical instructions either in physical or digital form.
It also said that in terms of the order passed on February 26, the NCERT issued a media advisory recalling the textbook and imposed a blanket ban on any further publication, reprinting or digital dissemination of the digital textbook.
It said that on February 24, NCERT received a direction from the Department of School Education and Literacy to withhold the circulation as well as keep the distribution of the textbook on hold until further orders.
It said that the department also directed NCERT to recall all the copies already circulated with immediate effect.
On February 26, the Supreme Court imposed a "complete blanket ban" on any further publication, reprinting or digital dissemination of NCERT's 8th grade social science book as it contains "offensive" content about corruption in the judiciary, saying that they have fired a shot and the judiciary is "bleeding".