NCERT row: Dharmendra Pradhan vows accountability, action

What Happened

• The Supreme Court imposed a "complete blanket ban" on the Class 8 NCERT Social Science textbook "Exploring Society — India and Beyond, Vol II," published on February 24, 2026, after taking strong exception to a chapter discussing corruption in the judiciary.
• The chapter in question — Chapter 4, "The Role of Judiciary in our Society" — contained a section titled "Corruption in the Judiciary" that identified judicial corruption and cited massive case backlogs (approximately 81,000 cases pending in the Supreme Court, 62.4 lakh in High Courts, and 4.7 crore in district and subordinate courts) as key challenges facing the judicial system.
• The Supreme Court, in suo motu proceedings, observed that the references to corruption in the judiciary prima facie reflected a "discernible underlying agenda to undermine the institutional authority and demean the dignity of the judiciary."
• The court ordered the seizure of all physical copies, removal of all digital versions, and issued contempt notices to the NCERT Director and a Ministry of Education official.
• Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan ordered the immediate withdrawal of the textbook, publicly expressed deep regret, and announced a thorough inquiry into how the material reached publication.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi was reported to have expressed displeasure over the incident, with sources indicating he wants systemic accountability measures put in place.
• NCERT acknowledged that "certain inappropriate textual material and errors of judgement" had inadvertently crept into Chapter 4 and committed to a comprehensive review and rewriting of the chapter.
• NCERT subsequently issued an advisory asking all schools and recipients to return the banned textbook and delete all online posts containing the controversial chapter.
• The textbook was part of the ongoing overhaul of school education under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023.

Static Topic Bridges

NCERT — Role, Structure, and Textbook Revision Process

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Education, established in 1961 by merging seven national government institutions. It functions as the apex body for improving the quality of school education and is the primary developer of model curricula and textbooks for central board (CBSE) schools.

NCERT's mandate: - Developing model textbooks aligned with the National Curriculum Framework - Supporting state governments in curriculum development - Conducting research in school education - Advising Central and State governments on education policy

The National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023 was released by NCERT in August 2023 as a framework for a comprehensive revision of school textbooks under NEP 2020. The NCF-SE 2023 is the fourth NCF (earlier versions: 1975, 1988, 2000, 2005). The 2026 textbook controversey emerged from this NCF-SE 2023-guided revision cycle — the first major overhaul in nearly two decades.

Judicial Independence and Contempt of Court

Judicial independence is a foundational principle of the Indian constitutional design. The Constitution insulates the judiciary from executive interference through several mechanisms: security of tenure for judges (Articles 124(4) and 217(1)), fixed non-reducible salaries charged to the Consolidated Fund of India (Article 112(3)(d)), and the court's own power to punish for contempt (Article 129 for Supreme Court, Article 215 for High Courts).

The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 codifies contempt law. It recognises two categories: - Civil contempt (Section 2(b)): wilful disobedience of court orders or undertakings - Criminal contempt (Section 2(c)): publication of material that scandalises or tends to scandalise the court, or lowers its authority, or prejudices judicial proceedings

The Supreme Court's suo motu action draws on its inherent powers under Articles 129 and 142. Scandalising the court — lowering public trust in judicial institutions through scurrilous attacks — has historically been treated as criminal contempt. However, the law also provides a truth defence (Section 13, as amended by the Contempt of Courts Amendment Act, 2006): a person charged with criminal contempt may raise truth as a valid defence if publication is in public interest and is bona fide.

National Education Policy 2020 and Curriculum Reform

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, released in July 2020, replaced the National Policy on Education, 1986 (as modified in 1992). It is the most comprehensive overhaul of India's education system since 1986. NEP 2020 recommends: - A 5+3+3+4 curricular structure replacing the earlier 10+2 system: - Foundational (ages 3-8): Anganwadi/pre-school + Grades 1-2 - Preparatory (ages 8-11): Grades 3-5 - Middle (ages 11-14): Grades 6-8 - Secondary (ages 14-18): Grades 9-12 - Integration of vocational education from Grade 6 - Reduced curriculum load; emphasis on critical thinking and core concepts - Mother tongue/regional language as medium of instruction up to Grade 5 (preferably Grade 8) - Multidisciplinary approach replacing rigid stream separation at +2 level

The NCF-SE 2023, developed under NEP 2020, guided the formation of syllabus committees that have been developing new textbooks — starting with Classes 1, 2, and 3, with Classes 6, 7, and 8 textbooks following. The Class 8 Social Science textbook was one of the first for the Middle Stage.

Judicial Pendency in India — Data and Reform Efforts

The chapter's content about case backlogs — despite being presented as a challenge — drew the Supreme Court's ire partly because of the broader political context. However, judicial pendency is a well-documented, officially acknowledged problem, with data published by the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) and referenced in Supreme Court annual reports and Law Commission of India reports.

Key pendency data (as of early 2026, per NJDG): - Supreme Court: approximately 81,000 pending cases - High Courts: approximately 62-63 lakh pending cases - District and subordinate courts: approximately 4.5-4.7 crore pending cases - Total pending cases in India: over 5 crore

Root causes officially acknowledged by the judiciary itself: - Inadequate judge-to-population ratio: India has approximately 21 judges per 10 lakh population against the Law Commission's recommended 50 per 10 lakh - Vacancies in courts: High Courts operating at 30-40% vacancy in judicial positions - Complex procedural requirements; multiple adjournments per case - Inadequate infrastructure in district courts

Reform measures: - Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs): for POCSO, rape, and other heinous offence cases - National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms - eCourts Project (Phase III launched 2023): digitisation of court processes - Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008: village-level courts for speedy justice in rural areas (implementation remains incomplete)

Key Facts & Data

• Textbook: "Exploring Society — India and Beyond, Vol II" (Class 8 Social Science), published February 24, 2026
• Chapter at issue: Chapter 4, "The Role of Judiciary in our Society" — section on "Corruption in the Judiciary"
• Pendency data cited in chapter: ~81,000 cases (SC), ~62.4 lakh (HCs), ~4.7 crore (district courts)
• Supreme Court action: suo motu proceedings; "complete blanket ban" on publication and digital dissemination; contempt notices to NCERT Director and Ministry official
• SC observation: content "prima facie reflects a discernible underlying agenda to undermine institutional authority"
• Government response: Education Minister Pradhan ordered immediate withdrawal; NCERT issued apology and advisory to return all copies
• NCERT copies sold before ban: approximately 38 copies (physical)
• Constitutional basis for contempt: Article 129 (SC as court of record); Contempt of Courts Act, 1971
• Truth defence under Contempt of Courts Act: Section 13(b), as amended 2006 — truth is valid defence if in public interest
• Textbook part of: NEP 2020 implementation; NCF-SE 2023 revision cycle
• NCERT established: 1961; autonomous body under Ministry of Education
• NCF-SE 2023: fifth National Curriculum Framework; August 2023; guides current textbook overhaul
• Previous major NCERT revision: 2005-06 under NCF 2005 (during UPA government)