New Delhi

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has withdrawn from sale its new Class 8 Social Science textbook after concerns were raised over a section dealing with “corruption in the judiciary,” sources said on Wednesday.

The development came after the Supreme Court of India initiated suo motu proceedings over the inclusion of the chapter. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said the issue concerns the entire judicial institution and asserted that it would not be allowed to be defamed.

“I’m fully aware of it. We will wait for a day. This definitely concerns the entire institution — both bar and bench. I am getting a lot of calls and messages. I’m taking suo motu cognisance of the issue. I will not let anybody, no matter how high up they are, defame the institution,” the CJI said during proceedings.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi mentioned the matter before the CJI-led bench, contending that the textbook singled out the judiciary while omitting discussion of corruption in other institutions such as the bureaucracy and political system.

“They have left out bureaucracy, politics, etc. Not a word on other sectors. They are teaching as if it only exists in this institution,” the lawyers submitted.

Responding to the concerns, the CJI described the matter as serious and indicated that steps were already being considered. “It’s a calculated and deep-rooted thing. We will not say anything more than that. As head of the institution, I’m aware — I’m already doing something about it,” he said.

The revised chapter, titled “The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society,” reportedly expanded beyond explaining the hierarchy of courts and access to justice, and addressed challenges such as case backlogs and allegations of corruption within the judicial system — a shift from earlier editions.

Sibal had earlier criticised the move in a post on X, questioning why corruption in other sectors, including politics and public administration, was not similarly highlighted.

President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, senior advocate Vikas Singh, also expressed concern, calling the inclusion “completely shocking.” He argued that if systemic issues were to be discussed in textbooks, they should reflect a broader institutional perspective.

The NCERT has not yet issued a detailed public statement on the withdrawal, but sources indicated that the book has been pulled pending further review.

READ MORE: Non-Muslim volunteers cook sheri for fasting Muslim students of Kota

The matter is expected to come up for further consideration before the Supreme Court.