Government Forms Expert Committee to Review Controversial Judiciary Textbook Chapter
Formation of Review Committee
On Friday, the Union government informed the Supreme Court about the establishment of a committee tasked with reviewing a chapter on 'corruption in the judiciary' found in a textbook published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). This committee includes notable figures such as former Supreme Court judges Indu Malhotra and Aniruddha Bose, along with former Attorney General KK Venugopal, who is also the director of the National Judicial Academy.
Background of the Controversy
The contentious chapter was part of a Class 8 social science textbook, which was subsequently withdrawn after the Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of the issue. The court also prohibited its publication and reprinting. On March 10, NCERT issued an apology regarding the chapter's content.
Details of the Chapter
This chapter highlighted various levels of corruption within the judiciary as one of the significant challenges faced by the judicial system, as reported by a news outlet. It was included in a textbook titled 'Exploring Society: India and Beyond'.
Supreme Court's Directives
Following Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's announcement about the committee, the Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, disposed of the suo motu case. Previously, on March 11, the court had expressed concern over an affidavit from the NCERT director, describing it as 'disturbing' due to claims that the chapter had been rewritten.
Expert Panel Requirements
The Supreme Court instructed the government to form a panel of experts, ideally including a former judge, an academic, and a distinguished legal professional, to evaluate the revised chapter. Additionally, the court mandated a reassessment of the National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee's composition, which had initially approved the chapter.
Restrictions on Involved Individuals
On March 11, the court also ordered that the three individuals responsible for drafting the controversial chapter should not be involved in any other curriculum projects. Furthermore, it instructed that these individuals should not be assigned any roles that involve public funding.