Centre Forms Expert Panel to Review NCERT Judiciary Chapter

The Central government of India has officially informed the Supreme Court about the constitution of an expert committee tasked with reviewing the controversial chapter on the judiciary in a Class 8 Social Science textbook published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). This development marks a significant step in resolving a protracted row that drew strong reactions from the judiciary and the public alike. Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta presented the details of the committee to a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul Pancholi on Friday, March 20, 2026. The expert panel includes Senior Advocate and former Attorney General for India K.K. Venugopal, former Supreme Court Justice Indu Malhotra, and National Judicial Academy Director and former Supreme Court Justice Aniruddha Bose. The committee will also include a Vice Chancellor. This composition reflects the Supreme Court's earlier directive that the committee should preferably include a former senior judge, an eminent academician, and a renowned practitioner in law. The controversy originated from a Class 8 Social Science textbook titled 'Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Vol II,' which contained a chapter, 'The Role of Judiciary in Our Society,' featuring sections discussing 'corruption in the judiciary,' a massive backlog of cases, and an inadequate number of judges as challenges within the Indian judicial system. These observations were deemed inappropriate and potentially detrimental to the impressionable minds of young students. The Supreme Court took *suo motu* (on its own motion) cognizance of the matter, describing the textbook's content as a 'deep-rooted conspiracy' and a 'calculated move' to undermine the institution of the judiciary. On February 26, 2026, the apex court ordered a blanket ban on the textbook, directing the immediate seizure of all physical copies and the takedown of its digital versions. The Court also issued show-cause notices to the NCERT Director and the Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy, seeking explanations for the controversial content. Following the Supreme Court's strong rebuke, NCERT issued a public apology, acknowledging 'inappropriate textual material and an error of judgment,' and announced the withdrawal of the controversial book. However, the Court later expressed dissatisfaction when it was informed that NCERT had already 'rewritten' the chapter without proper external review, intending to incorporate it into the 2026-27 academic session. The Court was critical of this 'laconic statement' and questioned the identity and expertise of those who had rewritten the chapter internally. Subsequently, the Supreme Court explicitly directed the Central government to constitute an independent expert committee to review any revised version of the chapter before it could be published or included in the curriculum. The Court also took the stringent step of barring the three academics initially involved in preparing the offending chapter – Professor Michel Danino, Suparna Divakar, and Alok Prasanna Kumar – from any future assignments involving public funds, citing their alleged lack of reasonable knowledge or deliberate misrepresentation of facts regarding the Indian judiciary. The formation of this high-profile expert committee has now led to the disposal of the *suo motu* case by the Supreme Court. Separately, during the same hearing, the bench also heard a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging a passage in an *older* Class 8 textbook which stated, 'recent judgments tend to view the slum dweller as an encroacher in the city.' The Chief Justice remarked that 'everyone has a right to have a viewpoint about a judgment of the court' and that 'people have a right to criticize our judgments.' This PIL was also disposed of, as the textbook in question was already being replaced. This incident underscores the delicate balance between academic freedom, curriculum development, and institutional integrity, particularly concerning sensitive topics like the judiciary. The expert committee's role will be crucial in ensuring that educational material is factually accurate, balanced, and fosters a respectful yet critical understanding of constitutional institutions among students.

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