NCERT rushes to retrieve withdrawn Class 8 textbook after judiciary row

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has scrambled to retrieve all 38 copies of a now-withdrawn Class 8 social science textbook sold earlier this week, following objections over a chapter discussing challenges within the judiciary.

According to officials, buyers who purchased the book from the NCERT sales counter on February 23 were contacted between February 24 and February 25 and asked to return their copies, citing an unspecified “issue” with the content.

A staffer at the counter said the directive came from the publication division. “A total of 38 copies were sold on February 23. Sixteen have been returned so far. In three cases, there was no contact number, and details were sought from the bank based on UPI IDs,” the staffer said, adding that there was a clear order from the Ministry to take the books back.

On February 25, sources in the Education Ministry clarified that no copies were sold on February 26.

The recall follows controversy surrounding a chapter titled ‘The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society’ in the book Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Part 2. The chapter includes a section outlining challenges faced by the judicial system, including a massive case backlog and references to corruption.

Reacting sharply, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant took serious exception to the content, stating he would “not allow anyone on earth to play with the integrity and to defame the institution.”

The episode has triggered fresh debate over academic content, institutional accountability, and the limits of critique within school curricula.