In a major move to protect the integrity of educational content, the Supreme Court on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, ordered the immediate removal of three high-ranking members of the NCERT curriculum team. This follows the massive controversy surrounding a Class 8 Social Science chapter titled “Corruption in the Judiciary.”
The Court’s “Stern” Directive
A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant directed all government-funded institutions to dissociate from the following individuals regarding the finalization of future textbooks:
- Professor Michel Danino (Chairperson of the Social Science curriculum committee)
- Two of his associates (unnamed in the immediate order)
The Court was notably blunt in its assessment, stating, “We know how to deal with such persons. They must also know how to deal with the current CJI.” The bench further remarked that there was no reason to continue associating with individuals who either lacked knowledge or “deliberately misrepresented facts.”
Key Rulings & Procedural Overhaul
- Funding Ban: The Court ordered that no public funds should be used to pay these individuals for any further services.
- Expert Panel Required: The Bench rejected NCERT’s claim that the chapter had already been rewritten. It ruled that no such content can be included without the approval of a new committee of domain experts to be formed by the Central Government within one week.
- Judicial Oversight: The Court expressed disappointment that the previous approval committee lacked a single eminent jurist. The new panel must now include:
- One former Senior Judge
- One eminent Academician
- One renowned Practitioner