CJI Surya Kant Slams NCERT Textbook References To Judicial Corruption

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Wednesday expressed strong displeasure over references to corruption in the judiciary in a newly introduced Class 8 Social Science textbook published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), asserting that no one would be allowed to defame or denigrate the institution.

The issue arose before a Bench led by the CJI after senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi raised concerns regarding the revised content.

Sibal told the court that members of the legal fraternity felt deeply disturbed by the teaching of judicial corruption to Class 8 students and called the inclusion entirely scandalous.

CJI Kant responded that he was already aware of the controversy and had received communications from judges expressing concern. The Chief Justice said the Bar and the Bench expressed concern and confirmed that proceedings had already begun, asking counsel to wait a day.

The Chief Justice of India said the institution’s integrity will remain intact and that the law will take its course.

What the Revised Chapter Says

The controversy centres on a new section under the chapter titled ‘The role of the judiciary in our society’.

The revised text discusses challenges faced by the judiciary, including corruption at various levels, pendency of cases, shortage of judges, complex procedures and inadequate infrastructure.

It cites approximate figures of around 81,000 cases pending before the Supreme Court, nearly 62.4 lakh in High Courts and about 4.7 crore in district and subordinate courts. It also mentions accountability mechanisms such as the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), which reportedly received over 1,600 complaints between 2017 and 2021.

The earlier edition focused primarily on the judiciary’s structure, independence and functions, highlighting delays through the phrase justice delayed is justice denied.

NCERT has been revising textbooks in line with the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education.

The updated Class 8 book, released on February 23, also revisits historical events including the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the 1946 Direct Action Day and the Partition of India.