Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday said he was “very sad” over the controversy surrounding a Class 8 social science textbook published by NCERT that referenced issues such as judicial corruption and case backlogs. He assured that accountability would be fixed and appropriate action taken against those responsible for drafting the contentious chapter.
The remarks came after the Supreme Court of India strongly criticised the content, terming it a “well-orchestrated conspiracy” to defame the judiciary. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant imposed a complete ban on the textbook and ordered the seizure of all physical and digital copies. The court also issued show-cause notices to the NCERT director and the secretary of the Department of School Education, asking why contempt proceedings should not be initiated.
Speaking to reporters in Jamshedpur, Pradhan emphasised that there was no intention to insult the judiciary. “We have full respect for the judiciary, and we have taken the issue very seriously,” he said, adding that the circulation of the textbook had been halted as soon as the matter came to light. He assured that the government would comply with the court’s directives and conduct a thorough inquiry.
Earlier, NCERT apologised for the “inappropriate content” and confirmed that the textbook would be rewritten in consultation with relevant authorities. Sources indicated that the government had taken strong note of the references in the curriculum following the court’s sharp observations.