NCERT Revises Class 8 Textbook, Removes Controversial Judiciary Chapter Sections

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released a revised Class 8 Social Science textbook, removing controversial sections on the judiciary months after the earlier edition sparked widespread criticism and was withdrawn following intervention by the Supreme Court .

The revised chapter, "The Role of the Judiciary in Society," no longer includes sections on judicial backlog , systemic challenges or "Corruption in the judiciary." References to two major court verdicts have also been omitted.

Instead, the updated chapter introduces fresh material on Public Interest Litigation (PIL), tribunals, and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms . The opening "Big Questions" section has also been reworked, shifting the focus from the need for an independent judiciary to the importance of justice in building a "just and harmonious society."

The earlier textbook had attributed the growing backlog of cases to factors such as a shortage of judges, cumbersome procedures and inadequate infrastructure. It also cited remarks by former Chief Justice of India B R Gavai on instances of corruption and misconduct within the judiciary.

The controversy erupted in February, prompting the Supreme Court to order the withdrawal of both physical and digital copies of the textbook. The apex court imposed a blanket ban on its publication, reprinting and digital dissemination, calling the content on judicial corruption "offending." NCERT subsequently issued an apology.

According to the revised edition's acknowledgements, the chapter was rewritten by an expert committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Education in compliance with the Supreme Court's directions in suo motu writ petition (civil) no. 1/2026 . The updated development team list also excludes Michel Danino, Suparna Diwakar and Alok Prasanna Kumar , whose names appeared in the earlier edition.