Supreme Court slams anti-judiciary content in NCERT books, orders withdrawal

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Supreme Court has taken a strong stance regarding objectionable references to corruption in the judiciary in the NCERT's Class 8 social science textbook. On Thursday, a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant termed it a deliberate conspiracy to defame the judiciary and ordered the book to be withdrawn from the market. The next hearing will be held on March 11.

The Supreme Court has called for an investigation into the matter and, just a day earlier, had objected to a specific chapter in the book. The court had stated that it would not be allowed to defame the court. However, following the court's objection, NCERT has decided to rewrite the book.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing NCERT in the Supreme Court, said, "We apologize in this suo motu case." To this, the CJI replied, "Our friends in the media sent this notice, and it doesn't contain a single word of apology."

He said, "It is our institutional responsibility to find out whether this was published in the book. The relevant department was defending it in the communication sent to the Registrar General. This was a deep-rooted conspiracy."

The Solicitor General told the court that action had been taken against the two individuals who had drafted the chapter. They would never be able to work with the UGC or any ministry.

The CJI then said, "That would be too easy, and he would get away with it. He fired the shot, and the judiciary is bleeding." Tushar Mehta informed the court that 32 copies that had gone to market had been withdrawn and the entire book would be reviewed.

The CJI remarked that taking action against just two individuals is not enough. That would be too easy, and they would get away with it. This is a ploy to defame the entire judiciary. He also questioned whether copies of the book are still available in the market or online. They should also be withdrawn immediately.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi raised the issue before a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant. Sibal said that teaching Class 8 students about corruption in the judiciary was concerning. He said that as a member of the institution, he was disturbed by this.

Chief Justice Surya Kant said the framers of the Constitution ensured balance and autonomy between the legislature, executive, and judiciary. Therefore, any material that tarnishes the reputation of any one constitutional institution is extremely serious.

He said that if such things get ingrained in the minds of youth and parents, then the trust in judicial institutions may diminish.

The court clarified that a thorough investigation would be conducted to determine who was responsible for publishing this material. The Solicitor General assured that the controversial chapter would be removed and a revised version would be republished. The court reiterated that any compromise to the credibility of the judiciary would not be tolerated.