No one from legal fraternity reviewed NCERT chapter on ‘corruption in judiciary’, say officials

The officials cited also pointed out that the previous Class 8 social science textbook -- which was in use until 2024 -- didn’t mention corruption at all.

A controversial chapter that mentioned corruption in the judiciary in the Class 8 NCERT social science textbook was written by a committee of members, which included a lawyer, but was not reviewed by anyone from the legal fraternity, officials aware of the matter said on Thursday.

The Supreme Court has called for action against those who wrote the chapter, and Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has also promised strict action. (HT_PRINT)

The officials cited above also pointed out that the previous Class 8 social science textbook -- which was in use until 2024 -- didn’t mention corruption at all.

“There was a lawyer among the members who wrote that particular chapter which has created controversy and others were from social science backgrounds. There was no one from the legal fraternity to review the book,” said the NCERT official, requesting anonymity.

The Supreme Court has called for action against those who wrote the chapter, and Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has also promised strict action.

The textbook in question was written between 2023 and 2025 and introduced into the curriculum in 2026. NCERT has rolled out new textbooks for Classes 1 to 8 in phases between 2023 and 2025, in line with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023 and New Education Policy 2020.

Corruption appears in both the new Class 7 and Class 8 textbooks – both of which have two parts each. HT has seen copies of the textbooks. The Class 7 textbook mentions corruption in the legislature and during the election process – but not in the judiciary.

“The government also has vigilance commissions to investigate matters of corruption. You can approach them if you find cases of corruption,” it said.

It then discusses elections.

“We learn about the election process, including sealed ballot boxes, qualifications of members, their duties, and also the conditions that could lead to their dismissal. For instance, members would be immediately removed if found to have indulged in any corruption.”

And finally, it discusses the problems faced by democracies.

“Issues such as corruption, wealth disparity, excessive control by a few over democratic institutions, erosion of the judiciary’s independence, manipulation of information channels, and several more, can cause hurdles in achieving the ideals of democracy. What can we do as individuals, and as a society, to remain vigilant and minimize these issues and hurdles?” it asked.

The textbook also explains that the Government of India performs three key roles — protector (law and defence), provider (welfare and infrastructure), and regulator (economic activity and social justice) — carried out through the Constitution, laws, elected representatives, the bureaucracy and the judiciary. It then raises a critical question for students: If these systems function to serve citizens, “Why do we still hear of cases of bribery and corruption in public office?”

It further discusses grievance redressal mechanisms, noting that many government departments have dedicated grievance offices and vigilance commissions where citizens can report complaints, including cases of corruption.

The first part of the Class 8 social science textbook (the controversy is over the second part) also discussed political corruption. It depicted politicians and officials violating the model code of conduct during elections with one cartoon showing bundles of ₹500/- notes found in a candidate’s car during inspections. “India’s electoral system is celebrated as the world’s largest democratic exercise. However, like all systems, it faces its share of challenges. Issues such as the growing influence of money in elections, a significant proportion of candidates with criminal records, and voter apathy, (particularly in urban areas), raise important questions about the health and future of our democracy,” the textbook said.

NCERT textbook preparation follows a collective, multi-stage process with no single author responsible for individual chapters, said people familiar with the book development process.

For each subject, a Curricular Area Group (CAG) is constituted, which sets up a textbook development team to draft the chapters. Initial drafts may be written by contributors (academics) or invited subject experts, and are then reviewed at multiple levels — by the development team, external experts, teachers, the full CAG, NCERT faculty, and finally the National Syllabus and Teaching-Learning Material Committee (NSTC).

“These contents were included in the book in line with the new pedagogy, as mandated by the NEP 2020, which asks students to investigate, explore, and respond to complex questions, real-world challenges, and problems,” said people familiar with the development.

Former NCERT director JS Rajput said that the controversy “dented” the council’s image. “The new textbooks do mention corruption in the executive and legislature, and students should learn about such issues to become informed citizens. Many in the legal fraternity may not have read the books fully. Given time, NCERT could have shown in court that the judiciary was not being singled out,” he said.