NCERT Withdraws Class 8 Textbook, Issues Apology Over Controversial Judiciary Chapter

New Delhi, March 10: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has issued an unconditional apology after controversy erupted over a chapter discussing challenges faced by India’s judiciary in a Class 8 Social Science textbook. The institution has also withdrawn the entire book from circulation.

The disputed content appeared in Part 2 of the Social Science textbook, which included a section referencing issues such as corruption allegations and a large backlog of court cases while discussing the functioning of the judiciary. The book, titled Exploring Society: India and Beyond, was released on February 23 but was pulled back the following day after concerns were raised.

In an official statement, NCERT confirmed that the publication is no longer available and acknowledged the issue surrounding Chapter 4, which dealt with the role of the judiciary. The organisation’s director and members offered an “unconditional and unqualified apology” for the chapter and expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to stakeholders.

The development comes just before the next hearing of a suo motu case taken up by the Delhi High Court regarding the textbook. Earlier, on February 26, the court ordered authorities to immediately seize all printed copies and remove digital versions of the book from public access. The matter is scheduled to be heard again on March 11.

According to court observations, the chapter highlighted complaints and allegations related to judges without sufficiently explaining the judiciary’s constitutional role in safeguarding democratic values. The court said such presentation could create a misleading perception among students about the judicial system.

The bench also noted that the content appeared to diminish the institutional authority of the judiciary and questioned whether it could amount to criminal contempt by potentially undermining public confidence in the justice system. However, the court clarified that its action was not intended to suppress legitimate criticism but to prevent the dissemination of what it termed a “biased narrative” to young students.

Following the order, authorities were instructed to coordinate with central and state education departments to ensure that all copies—both printed and digital—are removed immediately. The court also warned that producing or distributing the withdrawn book would constitute a violation of its directive.

NCERT earlier stated that the controversial chapter would be revised in consultation with relevant authorities to ensure that educational material remains accurate, balanced, and responsible for school students.