SUPREME COURT CLOSES NCERT TEXTBOOK CASE AFTER CENTRE CONFIRMS NEW CHAPTER INCORPORATED AND PUBLISHED:

The Supreme Court has formally closed the main proceedings arising from the controversy surrounding the Class 8 Social Science textbook published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training. The matter had been taken up suo motu on 25 February 2026 after Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal and Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi brought the issue to the attention of the Bench, expressing concern that young students were being taught content portraying the judiciary in a negative light. The Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana had earlier imposed a complete ban on the publication and distribution of the controversial book and had directed the Union and State governments to disassociate forthwith from the authors of the disputed chapter.

During the latest hearing, the Solicitor General informed the Court that the objectionable chapter had been replaced and that a newly revised version had already been incorporated and published. Taking note of this development, the Court recorded that nothing further survived in the main proceedings and accordingly closed them. At the same time, the Court issued an important clarification regarding its earlier order of 22 May 2026. It stated that certain statements concerning the authors’ alleged failure to submit drafts before the prescribed committees were merely submissions advanced by the Solicitor General and did not constitute findings or observations of the Court itself. With this clarification, the Bench disposed of the principal matter.

Senior Advocate Arvind Datar, appearing for Professor Michel Danino, had earlier sought modification of the Court’s previous directions. He emphasised that textbook preparation follows a structured two-tier process involving committees comprising numerous members, and that the authors had duly submitted their drafts for scrutiny. The Chief Justice indicated that the Court was prepared to clarify that the relevant remarks were only those of the Solicitor General and not expressions of the Bench. The Solicitor General confirmed that his earlier statement was factual in nature and did not attribute personal negligence to the individual academics. The Court observed that the overarching objective was to ensure that no lasting harm was caused to any party.

In its earlier intervention, the Court had expressed strong disapproval of exposing impressionable students to narratives that could create a lasting impression of institutional corruption within the judiciary. It had noted that such misconceptions, once implanted at a young age, would inevitably travel through teachers and parents and influence an entire generation. Consequently, it had directed both the Union and State governments to sever all publicly funded associations with the authors, Professor Michel Danino, Suparna Diwakar and Alok Prasanna Kumar. Following the Court’s initial orders, the NCERT had issued a public apology on 10 March 2026, withdrawing the entire textbook and expressing regret for the inclusion of the contentious chapter titled “The Role of Judiciary in our Society.”

The Court had also instructed the Central Government to identify social-media accounts and individuals who had reacted irresponsibly to the judicial intervention. With the replacement of the chapter now confirmed and the necessary clarifications recorded, the Supreme Court has brought the principal proceedings to a close, while leaving the revised educational material in place for students across the country.