"Won't Allow Anyone To Defame Institution": Supreme Court On NCERT Row

Spotlighting that all High Court judges are "perturbed", the Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed "grave concern" over the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) Class 8 textbook chapter on "corruption" in the judiciary.

Chief Justice Surya Kant stressed that the court won't allow anyone to "defame the institution" and that he has taken cognisance and may initiate suo motu action.

"Please wait for a few days. Bar and Bench all are perturbed. All High Court judges are perturbed. I will take up the matter suo motu. I will not allow anybody to defame the institution. Law will take its course," the Chief Justice underlined.

The top court's reaction came after senior lawyer Kapil Sibal on Tuesday informed the court that the NCERT is teaching Class 8 students about "judicial corruption", adding it is a matter of grave concern.

"NCERT's Class 8 book includes a section on corruption in the judiciary! What about the massive corruption of politicians, including ministers, public servants, investigation agencies, and why governments? Brush them under the carpet!" Sibal had earlier said in a post on X.

This also come days after the Law Ministry revealed that the Chief Justice of India's office received 7,528 complaints against sitting judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts between 2016 to 2025.

On February 14, in a written reply to a question by MP Shri Matheswaran VS, the Ministry of Law and Justice said complaints against members of the higher judiciary are handled through an "in-house mechanism" evolved by the judiciary.

"As head of the institution. I have done my duty and I have taken cognisance. This seems to be a calculated move... I won't say much," the Chief Justice said.

What The NCERT Chapter Says

The NCERT introduced a section on "corruption in the judiciary" in its new Class 8 Social Science textbook, marking a significant shift from earlier editions that largely focused on the structure and role of courts.

Senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi also raised objections.

"The selectivity my lord. The selectivity... It is there in other areas also but judicial corruption," said Singhvi.

At this point, Justice Bagchi said,"The book seems to go against the basic structure itself."

The revised chapter, titled "The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society", goes beyond explaining the hierarchy of courts and access to justice and addresses challenges faced by the judicial system, including corruption and case backlogs.

The chapter lists the approximate number of pending cases in the Supreme Court (81,000), High Court (6,240,000), and district and Subordinate courts (47,000,000).

In the section on corruption, the textbook states that judges are bound by a code of conduct that governs not only their behaviour in court but also their conduct outside it. It also highlights the judiciary's internal accountability mechanisms and refers to the established procedure for receiving complaints through the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS).

The chapter adds that efforts are being made at both the state and Union levels to strengthen transparency and public trust, including through the use of technology and swift action against instances of corruption.

The textbook also quotes former Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, who in July 2025 said that instances of corruption and misconduct within the judiciary have a negative impact on public confidence.

"However, the path to rebuilding this trust lies in the swift, decisive and transparent action taken to address and resolve these issues... Transparency and accountability are democratic virtues," he was quoted as saying in the book.

What The Lawyers Say

NDTV reached out to lawyers to understand why the inclusion of this chapter is problematic.

Senior lawyer Sidhart Luthra explained that school education is meant to educate and not to complicate young minds. At a stage as early as the 8th standard the motive is to familiarise students with organs of governance and their functions, he said, adding like what the Parliament does, how judiciary functions and the role of the executive in implementing legislative policy and so on.

"School education is meant to educate and not to complicate young minds. The comments are the result of minds which are clearly not concerned with educating them but in confusing them. At this stage, the young minds need to first develop an understanding of the structures of governance," Luthra said. 

Supreme Court lawyer Pragya Parijat Singh said mentioning the "corruption" without any criticial analysis" shows a lack of understanding. 

"Judiciary has always endeavoured to have better laws. Everything has pros and cons. But to mention it this way to young students without any critical analysis of what role judiciary has played in shaping Indian Democracy shows a lack or understanding on their part," she said. 

Expressing concern, she said this is a blatant way of portraying the judiciary among young impressionable minds. 

"We all know how the judiciary has shaped and protected the Indian democracy in cases like Keshavananda Bharti where it gave the important concept of Basic Structure of Constitution. Why was there no mention of this?" she asked.