NCERT Row: No Legal Review For “Judicial Corruption” Chapter In Class 8 Textbook

NEW DELHI — The “Judicial Corruption” controversy has highlighted a major procedural gap in the development of India’s new school curriculum under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. While the textbook development team included a lawyer, no external legal experts or judicial representatives were invited to review the content before it was introduced to students in the 2026 academic session.

1. The Content in Question

The new Class 7 and Class 8 textbooks (Parts I and II) introduce students to the concept of systemic corruption as part of a new “investigative pedagogy.”

• Class 7 Context: Mentions corruption in the legislature and elections but omits the judiciary.
• Class 8 (Part I): Uses cartoons to depict money power in elections, including imagery of ₹500 notes found in a candidate’s vehicle.
• The Controversy (Class 8 Part II): Explicitly raises questions about bribery and corruption within “public office,” including the judiciary, which the Supreme Court has flagged as potentially demeaning to the institution’s integrity.

2. A “Multi-Stage” Failure?

Despite NCERT’s rigorous multi-stage review process, the specific chapter managed to bypass specialized legal scrutiny.

• The Committee: The chapter was written by a Curricular Area Group (CAG) consisting of social scientists and one lawyer.
• The Oversight: Usually, drafts are reviewed by external experts and the National Syllabus and Teaching-Learning Material Committee (NSTC). In this instance, officials admitted that “no one from the legal fraternity” was involved in the final sign-off.
• NEP 2020 Rationale: Proponents of the text argue the content follows NEP mandates for students to “explore complex real-world challenges,” rather than just learning rote facts.

3. Government and Judicial Response

The reaction from the top levels of the Indian government and the judiciary has been swift:

• Supreme Court: Has demanded the names of the individuals responsible for the drafting and called for immediate corrective measures.
• Dharmendra Pradhan (Union Education Minister): Stated that “accountability will be fixed” and promised strict action against those who allowed the sensitive content to be published without proper vetting.
• NCERT Defense: Former Director JS Rajput noted that while the intent was to create “informed citizens,” the lack of a balanced review has significantly “dented” the council’s image.

Evolution of “Corruption” in NCERT Textbooks