The Supreme Court on Monday was informed that three academicians associated with the Class 8 NCERT Social Science textbook chapter on “Corruption in Judiciary” have submitted their explanations in compliance with earlier court directions.
Senior advocates Gopal Sankaranarayanan, Aravind Datar and J. Sai Deepak, appearing for Suparna Diwakar, Michel Danino and Alok Prasanna Kumar respectively, told a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant that responses had been filed. They requested the court to list the matter for further consideration at the next hearing.
Counsel submitted that earlier observations regarding possible blacklisting of the academicians had raised concerns about their professional credibility. It was argued that the authors were experienced in pedagogy and that textbooks at similar levels often include discussions on institutional challenges, in line with the National Education Policy.
The court was also informed that the inclusion of the chapter was part of a collective decision-making process, with no single individual having final authority.
Meanwhile, a three-member committee comprising former Supreme Court judge Justice Indu Malhotra, senior advocate K.K. Venugopal and academic Prakash Singh has been constituted. The committee will coordinate with the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, to finalise legal studies curriculum for Class 8 and higher classes under the NCERT framework.
The bench noted that NCERT, through an April 2 notification, has reconstituted a high-powered committee to prepare the national syllabus and teacher learning materials. The committee includes 20 members.
The court clarified that the committee’s mandate would extend beyond the disputed Class 8 chapter and include a broader review of relevant academic content.
Earlier, on March 11, 2026, the Supreme Court had directed the Union government and all states and Union Territories to disassociate from the three academicians in publicly funded academic work, subject to their filing of explanations.
Show cause notices had also been issued to officials of the Ministry of Education and NCERT, seeking responses on the preparation of the chapter.
The court has continued its suo motu proceedings and maintained a ban on the Class 8 textbook containing the chapter. It has also directed NCERT to submit details of the committee that approved the content, including the qualifications and credentials of its members.
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