Education Update: NCERT Withdraws Class 8 Textbook Chapter After Supreme Court Rap

In a significant development, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has withdrawn a controversial chapter from its Class 8 Social Science textbook following strong observations from the Supreme Court of India. The chapter, which allegedly contained references perceived as critical of the judiciary, has been removed from both the official textbook and the NCERT website. Distribution of the book has also been halted until further orders. The top court had taken suo motu cognizance of the matter, with the Chief Justice indicating serious concern over the content. A three-judge bench is scheduled to hear the matter, during which NCERT’s decision to withdraw the chapter and its formal expression of regret will be placed on record. In its clarification, NCERT stated that it holds the judiciary in the highest regard and expressed regret over any unintended offense caused. The move is being viewed as an attempt to resolve the controversy ahead of the court’s detailed hearing. Legal observers suggest the Supreme Court may still issue broader guidelines regarding how constitutional institutions, particularly the judiciary, should be represented in school curricula in the future.