Judicial Criticism in Classroom: Expert Panel Reviews NCERT Content

The Supreme Court was informed of a newly formed expert committee, including former apex court judges and an ex-attorney general, to review a controversial chapter on judicial corruption. This decision comes amidst a petition challenging the portrayal of judiciary in an 8th-grade NCERT book.

The Supreme Court was informed on Friday that an expert committee has been established to review a chapter in an 8th-grade NCERT book discussing corruption within the judiciary. This committee includes former Supreme Court judges and a former Attorney General, led by senior advocate KK Venugopal.

The petition at the center of this review was brought forward by former NCERT member Pankaj Pushkar, who contested the depiction of slum dwellers as city encroachers in judicial judgments within the textbook. However, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition, emphasizing the importance of healthy criticism of judicial decisions.

The Chief Justice, Surya Kant, noted that criticism is vital for transparency and reflects diverse perspectives. The chapter aims to provide a balanced view of the judiciary's structure, achievements, and controversial judgments viewed as adverse to public interest.

(With inputs from agencies.)