3 min readMar 11, 2026 02:28 PM IST
With the NCERT putting the onus for the chapter on corruption in the judiciary in its Class 8 textbook on the Textbook Development Team (TDT) headed by the Professor Michel Danino, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the centre, states, union territories and universities to dissociate with them forthwith.
“We see no reason as to why this kind of persons be associated in any manner for the purpose of appraisal of curriculm or for finalisation of the textbooks for the next generation of children of this country. Consequently we direct the Government of India and all state governments/ Union Territories, all Universities, public institutions receiving government funds to dissociate with them forthwith and not to assign any responsibility which incurs fully or partially public funds”, a bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi ordered.
The bench clarified that “this order however shall be subject to their approaching this court for modification alongwith an explanation if any…”.
The top court had taken suo motu cognisatnce of the matter following a report in The Indian Express on February 24 and sought the response of the NCERT and the centre in the matter.
In response, the NCERT Director Prakash Saklani filed an affidavit which said the chapter “was drafted by the Textbook Development Team (TFT) under the chairmanship of Prof Michel Danino consisting of….Suparna Diwakar” and “Alok Prasanna Kumar”.
The affidavit also said they “shall not be associated with any activity of NCERT hereafter.”
The Council said the chapter was to be looked into by the members of the National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) comprising 19 persons, but this was “not placed before the NSTC except that it was circulated “only amongst the few members digitally”.
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The court said asked NCERT to revisit the composition of NSTC, especially those to whom the offending chapter was shown.
The bench also said it is “distrubed” by the NCERT stating that the chapter in question “has been duly rewritten” and that “the revised chapter shall be incorporated in the forthcoming academic session 2026-2027 and shall be used for classroom transactions in schools across all states and union territories in accordance with the applicable curriculum and academic framework.”
It directed that the rewritten chapter shall not be published unless it is approved by a committee comprising domain experts.
The court asked the centre “to constitute a committee of domain experts which may preferably include one former senior judge, one prominent academician and one renowned practitioner.”
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The court added that its directions in the matter “are not intended to prevent any…objective and legitimate criticism of the institutional functioning of the judiciary”.
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