- By Sarju Saran Tiwari
- Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:09 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Supreme Court of India has officially disposed of the suo motu proceedings concerning the controversial section titled "Corruption in Judiciary" in the NCERT Class 8 Social Science textbook. The decision came after the top court was informed that the contentious chapter had been withdrawn and replaced with updated material.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana noted that the text was substituted following recommendations by a Centre-appointed expert committee. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench that the newly revised textbooks are already in active circulation.
Court Clarifies Order Statements
During the hearing, the apex court clarified that a statement in its May 22 order—suggesting the curriculum had not been presented to panels at all levels—was a submission made by the Solicitor General rather than a judicial finding. Solicitor General Mehta emphasized that he had not accused academicians of withholding content, clarifying instead that the curriculum factually had not reached the committee, making it a non-collective decision.
Relief for Academicians
Senior advocate Arvind Datar, representing one of the academicians, raised concerns that unclarified judicial remarks could cause prejudice against the authors. In response, the Supreme Court recalled parts of its earlier March 11 order, which had directed government bodies and universities to sever ties with three academicians: Professor Michel Danino, Suparna Diwakar, and Alok Prasanna Kumar.
Focus Preserved on Content, Not Individuals
The top court emphasized that its previous critical comments were directed at the nature of the textbook content rather than the individuals who authored it. The bench stated that government institutions and public universities are free to independently evaluate explanations provided by the academicians without being influenced by the court's earlier observations.