Supreme Court Blocks Controversial NCERT Book Over Judiciary Criticism

The Supreme Court imposed a ban on NCERT's Class 8 social science book for containing critical content about the judiciary. The ruling emphasizes safeguarding the curriculum's integrity, not suppressing criticism. The court called for immediate removal of the book and is considering action against those responsible for its publication.

The Supreme Court on Thursday imposed a comprehensive ban on the further publication, reprinting, or digital dissemination of an NCERT Class 8 social science textbook, citing the imperative to protect the national curriculum's pedagogical integrity. The contentious book allegedly contains content deemed critical of the judiciary.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, was clear in its stance that the intervention was not aimed at stifling legitimate critique. Instead, it emphasized the importance of dissent and robust discourse as pillars of a functioning democracy.

In a suo motu case titled 'In Re: Social Science Textbook for Grade-8 (Part-2) Published by NCERT and Ancillary Issues,' the court expressed concerns over a possible conspiracy to undermine the judiciary. It called for the immediate seizure of all copies of the book and has demanded explanations from NCERT officials regarding the inclusion of the 'offending' content.