Supreme Court Bans Controversial NCERT Book
Hyderabad: The Supreme Court has banned a controversial NCERT book after taking suo moto cognisance of a chapter on corruption in the judiciary in a Class Social Science textbook. The court began hearing the matter on Thursday and expressed strong displeasure over the content.
The issue arose after the publication of a chapter on corruption in the judiciary in a new Social Science textbook brought out by the National Council of Educational Research and Training. The apex court treated the matter as a conspiracy to tarnish the reputation of the judiciary and reacted sharply during the proceedings.
Court Expresses Anger Over Judiciary Chapter
During the hearing, the Chief Justice reacted strongly and said those responsible must face punishment. Justice Suryakant made sharp observations in court. He said, “The judiciary is shedding blood with the bullets they fired. it seems to be a deliberate act to suppress the power and dignity of the judiciary. If this is left unchecked, there is a possibility of damaging the sanctity of the judiciary in the minds of the people and the youth,” he expressed concern.
He further stated, “Also, NCERT has allocated a whole chapter to explain the role of the judiciary. But it has left out the unique history of the courts. We will not leave this matter until accountability is established. We want to know who is behind this, he commented.”
Centre Apologises; NCERT Removes Textbook
Meanwhile, the Centre unconditionally apologised to the Supreme Court. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the government, told the court that they were not defending the matter. He also said he would always support the judiciary and would issue an unconditional apology through a public notice.
In response to the controversy, NCERT banned the book and warned of strict action if the ban is violated. It issued show cause notices to the director of the institution and the school education secretary. It asked them to explain why action should not be taken against those responsible.
Earlier, the Union Ministry of Education had ordered NCERT to stop distributing the book containing the lesson on corruption in the judiciary. NCERT stated that irrelevant matters were included due to a mistake in decision making. It removed the textbook from its official website and apologised for publishing irrelevant content. The next hearing in the case will be held on March 11.
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