The Centre will remove references to “corruption at various levels of the judiciary” from an NCERT Class VIII textbook, high-level government sources said on Wednesday amid objections from the Supreme Court.
Sources said the section “should not have been written” and that highlighting such aspects was “not appropriate”. They added that “inspirational things” should have been included instead.
Sources also said, quoting former Chief Justice BR Gavai, that it was “not right” and “not appropriate”, noting that the current Chief Justice had expressed displeasure.
The reference cited a July 2025 remark by Gavai acknowledging instances of corruption and misconduct within the judiciary and calling for swift, transparent action to rebuild public trust. The revised chapter, titled “Role of the Judiciary in Our Society”, discussed judicial hierarchy, access to justice, corruption, case backlogs, and internal accountability mechanisms.
The issue reached the Supreme Court of India, which expressed “grave concern”. Chief Justice Surya Kant said the court would not allow anyone to “defame the institution”, adding that he had taken cognisance and may initiate suo motu action.
Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal flagged the matter, calling it a grave concern and questioning why corruption in other institutions was not similarly highlighted. Lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi also objected, referring to “selectivity”.
Days earlier, the Law Ministry disclosed that the Chief Justice of India’s office received 7,528 complaints against sitting Supreme Court and High Court judges between 2016 and 2025.
Senior lawyer Sidhart Luthra questioned whether such content complicates school-level education, while Supreme Court lawyer Pragya Parijat Singh said mentioning corruption without critical analysis reflected a lack of understanding of the judiciary’s role in shaping Indian democracy.