The Supreme Court has recalled its earlier order blacklisting three academics linked to the controversial NCERT Class 8 Social Science chapter on the judiciary. The court also withdrew its direction barring them from participating in academic projects undertaken by government and public educational institutions.
A bench comprising Surya Kant, Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi passed the order while hearing petitions filed by Professors Michel Danino, Suparna Diwakar and Alok Prasanna Kumar. The academics had sought a recall of the court’s March 11, 2026 order.
The apex court clarified that both the Centre and state governments are free to independently decide whether to engage the academics in future educational or academic assignments. The bench also removed its earlier observation that the academics had deliberately misrepresented facts and attempted to portray the Indian judiciary negatively before Class 8 students.
During the hearing, the court acknowledged that there was no malicious intent behind the drafting of the chapter and noted that the content had emerged from a collective process rather than the work of a single individual.
Senior advocate Shyam Divan argued before the bench that the March order had been passed without giving the academics an opportunity to present their case. He stressed that the chapter was the result of collaborative authorship and not attributable to one individual.
Senior lawyer Gopal Sankaranarayanan submitted that the chapter on the judiciary was designed to build upon lessons taught in Classes 6 and 7. He argued that students should be made aware of the realities and functioning of the judicial system, especially when discussions about judicial issues frequently appear in the public domain and media.
Justice Bagchi observed that the concern with the chapter was that it appeared to present corruption as a problem unique to the judiciary. He further noted that the text failed to adequately highlight positive aspects such as legal aid and the constructive role played by courts in safeguarding rights and justice.
Even while recalling its earlier remarks, the Supreme Court reiterated that portions of the chapter were inappropriate and unnecessary. The bench also took note of the Centre’s decision to constitute an expert committee headed by a former Supreme Court judge to review the textbook content.
The controversy centred around a chapter in the NCERT Class 8 Social Science textbook that discussed challenges faced by the Indian judicial system, including corruption, a massive backlog of pending cases and an inadequate number of judges.
The observations drew sharp criticism from the Supreme Court, which questioned the suitability of such content for middle school students. Following the backlash, National Council of Educational Research and Training apologised for what it described as “inappropriate content” and announced that the chapter would be revised in consultation with relevant authorities.
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