NCERT Textbook Row: Supreme Court Flags Judiciary Chapter, Rekindles Debate On Civic Education And Institutional Trust
· Free Press Journal
The Supreme Court’s decision to impose a blanket ban on a Class VIII social science textbook published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has reignited an old debate: how much truth is too much for young minds? The controversy centres on a chapter titled “The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society”, which referred to corruption at various levels of the judiciary and highlighted the staggering backlog of cases—over 53 million pending across courts.
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The court described the content as “extremely contemptuous” and “reckless”, halting its publication and asking the NCERT director to explain the inclusion of what it called an “offending chapter”. Chief Justice Surya Kant made it clear that he would not permit any attempt to tarnish the institution’s integrity.
Balancing institutional faith and factual realities
At one level, the court’s strong reaction is understandable. The judiciary remains the ultimate bulwark against injustice. For millions of citizens, especially the poor and marginalised, courts represent the last refuge when executive excesses or legislative failures threaten their rights.
School education plays a foundational role in shaping civic faith. To teach 13- and 14-year-olds that the judiciary is corrupt, without adequate nuance or institutional context, risks eroding that faith before it has even taken root.
Yet, the issue is not as simple as shielding children from unpleasant realities. Corruption in public life is neither imaginary nor confined to whispered allegations. Judges of the highest court have, in the past, publicly acknowledged concerns about probity within the system.
The recent unearthing of a large quantity of currency notes from the residence of a high court judge only underscores the gravity of the challenge. Case backlogs, infrastructural deficits and procedural delays are documented facts, not defamatory inventions.
Is middle school the right forum?
The real question, therefore, is not whether corruption exists, but whether a middle-school textbook is the appropriate forum and age to foreground it in relation to the judiciary alone. As senior advocates pointed out, corruption is not unique to one branch of the state.
The executive and the legislature are equally vulnerable. Singling out the judiciary in isolation risks presenting a distorted picture of governance and accountability.
Role of oversight bodies
The Human Resources Development Ministry cannot escape scrutiny either. As the parent body overseeing NCERT, it bears responsibility for ensuring that curricular revisions are pedagogically sound, balanced and age-appropriate.
The recent friction between the court and educational regulators like the UGC over other policy matters suggests deeper problems in academic oversight and institutional coordination. If anything is “rotten”, it is not merely a chapter in a textbook but the apparent lack of robust review mechanisms in school and higher education management.
The fine line in civic education
Civic education must walk a fine line: it should neither peddle blind reverence nor cultivate premature cynicism. What is taught in classrooms should inform young minds without distorting their trust in democratic institutions.