Education NCERT Textbook Row: SC ‘Perturbed’ By Claim That Controversial Chapter Was ‘Duly Rewritten’

The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed concern over the National Council of Educational Research and Training's (NCERT) claim that the controversial chapter in a Class 8 social science textbook had been 'duly rewritten'. The court said it was disturbed by the assertion and sought clarification on who had actually rewritten the chapter.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant raised the issue while referring to an affidavit submitted by the NCERT director regarding the revised version of the chapter that contained content considered offensive to the judiciary.

The court questioned the process behind the chapter rewrite, pointing out that the affidavit did not explain who the alleged experts were or who authorised the revised chapter to be included in the academic curriculum for the 202627 session.

The judges also pointed out that the lack of transparency could complicate efforts to ensure that educational content about institutions like the judiciary remains objective and balanced.

The government assured the court that the revised content would not be included in textbooks without scrutiny by a committee of experts.

The case is being heard suo motu by the apex court after it took note of the contentious material related to corruption in the judiciary included in the Class 8 social science textbook.

NCERT Director Professor Dinesh Prasad Saklani issued an unconditional apology for the inclusion of the disputed chapter and acknowledged procedural lapses in the review process.