Purely Unintentional: NCERT sorry over ‘Judicial Corruption’ in class 8th textbook, regrets error of judgement

February 26, 2026

NCERT issued its first response to the controversy surrounding the inclusion of the “Judicial Corruption” chapter in the Class 8 Social Science textbook. NCERT stated that it has the highest respect for the judiciary and that the error in the textbook was unintentional, and NCERT regrets including incorrect material in that chapter.

On February 24, NCERT released a new Social Science textbook for Class 8 students. This book was to be taught in schools from the 2026-27 academic session. Its first part was released in July 2025.

The book is titled “Exploring Society: India and Beyond Part 2.” The chapter, “The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society,” includes the topic “Corruption in the Judiciary.” It states that corruption, a large number of pending cases, and a severe shortage of judges are among the major challenges facing the judicial system.

Following the controversy, NCERT has banned the sale of the book. It also stated that the controversial chapter will be rewritten.

Now read NCERT’s full statement

“As per the established procedure, NCERT released the Class 8 Social Science textbook, Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Volume II, on February 24th. Upon receiving the textbook, it was observed that some incorrect text material had inadvertently been included in Chapter 4. The Ministry of Education made a similar observation and directed that the distribution of the book be completely stopped until further orders.”

NCERT reiterates that the purpose of the new textbooks is to strengthen constitutional rights and to inculcate literacy, institutional respect, and democratic participation among students. We have no intention of questioning or undermining the authority of any constitutional body. NCERT is open to constructive feedback. Therefore, the disputed chapter will be rewritten in consultation with the appropriate authorities and made available to Class 8 students when the academic session 2026-27 begins. NCERT once again regrets the error of this decision.

NCERT says – “As per the extant procedure, NCERT brought out the Social Science textbook, Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Vol II for Class 8 on 24-02-2026. On receiving the textbook, it has been observed that certain inappropriate textual material and error of judgement have… pic.twitter.com/RQIJibmC0f

— ANI (@ANI) February 25, 2026

What CJI Surya Kanty said? 

CJI Surya Kant responded, “No one in the world will be allowed to defame the judiciary. This appears to be a deliberate and deep-rooted conspiracy. I know how to deal with this. I will handle this case myself. We do not wish to say anything more about it.”

NCERT book not available on website

Part 2 of NCERT’s Class 8 Social Science textbook was released this week. Following the CJI’s remarks, the book is no longer available on the NCERT website. According to a news report, offline sales of the book have also been discontinued as of Tuesday, February 24th.