The NCERT Class 8 textbook controversy raises a deeper question — was this really just a mistake, or something more calculated?
On February 26, 2026, the Supreme Court of India did an unusual – banned a school textbook. It was not for misrepresenting historical facts nor for printing mistakes, but for containing a chapter on corruption in the judiciary.
The book in question, Exploring Society: India and Beyond, a Class 8 Social Science textbook published by NCERT, had a section entitled “Corruption in the Judiciary”. Corruption, massive backlogs, and a scarcity of judges are some of the critical challenges facing the judicial system in India, according to the passage. That is civic education on paper. In practice, it led to one of the most dramatic courtroom moments in recent educational history.
A Calculated Move — or Just Poor Judgement?
The Supreme Court did not view this to be an editorial slip that was innocent. The Supreme Court did not treat this as an innocent editorial oversight, with Chief Justice Surya Kant deeming it a “deep-rooted, well-orchestrated conspiracy” to malign the judiciary and stating that the institution was “bleeding” from the “gunshots” being fired at it by way of a children’s textbook. The bench described the inclusion as being a “calculated move to undermine institutional authority.” ” paragraph The Supreme Court did not consider this a “careless editorial error” and referred to the incident as a “deep-rooted, well-orchestrated conspiracy” to defame the judiciary with the institution being described to be “bleeding” after “gunshots were fired at it through a textbook for kids.” The bench also referred to the inclusion as a “calculated move to undermine institutional authority.” On the other hand, NCERT defences the contents first, a reaction that the court deemed “contemptuous and reckless”. NCERT only issued a regret, stating that it was an “error in judgement, after enough pressure was mounted on them. The Centre issued an unconditional apology via Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and assured that those responsible for drafting the offending chapters would not be employed by NCERT, UGC, or any Ministry in the future.
The CJI was not satisfied: “They fired the gunshot, the judiciary is bleeding today!”
But Here's the Real Question
Let us take a step back to look at the bigger picture. Why would someone include a chapter of judicial corruption in a Class 8 textbook in the first place?
The Indian judiciary does have many serious problems such as backlogs of cases running into crores, lack of access to the judiciary for the poor, and proven incidences of corruption at various levels. These are not hidden secrets. They are openly debated every day in the Parliament, in the media and in the academic institutions.
So why is it controversial to discuss them with 13-year-olds?
The Supreme Court’s argument is that impressionable young minds should not be exposed to “biased narratives” without the full context of the judiciary’s contributions – its role in upholding the basic structure of the Constitution, its history of holding powerful officials accountable, its work in legal aid and access to justice.
That is a valid point. That is a fair point, the chapter did lack balance by most accounts. That chapter, by most accounts, lacked balance.
But the bigger question that lingers is, who approved this content and why? The court wants names, minutes of meetings and accountability. Heads, the CJI warned, “must roll”.
What Happens Next?
All physical and digital copies of the book have been ordered to be seized immediately. Schools and states must submit reports of compliance within two weeks.
The case is next heard on March 11, and at this point, the courts may decide to establish a panel that will be responsible for fixing responsibility. PM Modi has also been reportedly displeased and has demanded that responsibility be fixed.
Whether this was a rogue editorial decision, an institutional failure, or something more sinister is yet to be seen. But one thing is clear — someone, somewhere, thought it was a good idea to subject the Indian judiciary to such scrutiny in a Class 8 classroom. The Supreme Court wants to know who that person is.