NCERT Issues Urgent Recall of Controversial Class-VIII Textbook Amid Supreme Court Ruling

NCERT's Advisory on Banned Textbook

New Delhi: On Friday, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) issued a directive urging individuals to return copies of the Class-VIII textbook that included a chapter on 'judicial corruption'.

In a firm statement, NCERT demanded the removal of any social media posts featuring the chapter's content.

Following a Supreme Court ruling that banned the controversial textbook, the Union Ministry of Education reached out to the ministries of information and broadcasting, as well as electronics, to halt the spread of the NCERT textbook across digital platforms and electronic media.

"Any person or organization holding the NCERT textbook 'Exploring Society: India and Beyond' should return it to NCERT headquarters. Additionally, any related content on social media or digital platforms must be deleted promptly," the advisory stated.

This directive was issued after the Supreme Court enforced a 'complete blanket ban' on the publication, reprinting, or digital distribution of the Class-VIII book, citing 'offensive' content regarding judicial corruption and stating, 'a gunshot has been fired and the institution is bleeding.'

The NCERT's Class-VIII Social Science textbook highlights issues such as corruption, a significant backlog of cases, and an insufficient number of judges as challenges facing the judicial system.

In response to the Supreme Court's criticism, NCERT has expressed regret for the 'inappropriate content' and announced plans to revise the book in collaboration with relevant authorities.