Supreme Court Directs Disassociation of Three Experts from NCERT Curriculum Work Over Controversial Judiciary Chapter in Class 8 Textbook
Why in News?
On March 11, 2026, the Supreme Court directed the Centre, states, Union Territories, universities, and public institutions receiving government funds to immediately disassociate three experts—Professor Michel Danino (chairperson of the NCERT social science curriculum committee), Suparna Diwakar, and Alok Prasanna Kumar—from any role in preparing school curriculum or finalising textbooks using public funds. This came after a suo motu case over a withdrawn Class 8 Social Science textbook chapter discussing "corruption in the judiciary," which the court called an attempt to demean the institution and harmful to impressionable students. The court also ordered formation of an expert committee to review legal studies content and barred publication of any rewritten chapter without domain expert approval.
Key Points
The controversy started with the release of NCERT's Class 8 Social Science textbook (Part 2) in February 2026, which included a section on "Corruption in the Judiciary" highlighting issues like backlogs and corruption as challenges.
On February 26, 2026, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance, imposed a complete blanket ban on publication, reprinting, or digital dissemination of the textbook, and ordered seizure of all copies.
The court described the content as a "gunshot" against the judiciary, bleeding from the attack, and issued show-cause notices for contempt to NCERT Director and Education Secretary.
NCERT issued an unconditional apology, withdrew the chapter, and stated it had been rewritten for the 2026-27 session, but the court was perturbed by the lack of details on who rewrote it.
The Textbook Development Team (TDT) was headed by Michel Danino, with Suparna Diwakar and Alok Prasanna Kumar as members; the court held they either lacked knowledge or deliberately misrepresented facts about the judiciary.
The Supreme Court directed the Centre to form a committee of domain experts (including a retired judge, academician, and lawyer) within a week to finalise legal studies curriculum across classes.
All governments and funded institutions were told not to assign any public-funded responsibility to the three experts for future curriculum or textbook work.
Explained
What is NCERT and Its Role in School Curriculum Development?
NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Education, established in 1961, responsible for developing model textbooks, curricula, and teaching materials for school education across India.
It prepares NCERT textbooks used by CBSE schools and as reference material by many state boards, ensuring uniform quality and alignment with National Curriculum Framework (NCF).
Curriculum development involves multiple layers: National Steering Committee (NSTC) for oversight, Curricular Area Groups (CAGs) for subjects, and Textbook Development Teams (TDTs) of experts who draft content for specific classes.
This structure aims to create balanced, fact-based educational material promoting critical thinking and national values, but controversies arise when content is seen as sensitive or biased.
What Triggered the Controversy Over the Class 8 Textbook?
The new Class 8 Social Science textbook (Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Part 2) included a chapter section discussing challenges in the judiciary, specifically mentioning "corruption in the judiciary" and massive case backlogs.
Media reports highlighted these paragraphs, leading advocates to bring it to the Supreme Court's attention on February 24, 2026, prompting suo motu proceedings.
The court viewed the content as deliberately negative, potentially undermining judicial dignity and misleading young students (Class 8 age group is impressionable).
NCERT withdrew the offending parts, apologised, and seized copies, but the court found the response inadequate and questioned the expertise of the drafting team.
Who Are the Three Experts Directed to Be Disassociated and Why?
Professor Michel Danino: Chairperson of the social science curriculum committee and TDT; known for works on ancient Indian history and rejection of Aryan invasion theory; the court said he lacked reasonable knowledge of judiciary or misrepresented facts.
Suparna Diwakar: Associate member of TDT with interest in Indic Knowledge Systems; involved in drafting the controversial section.
Alok Prasanna Kumar: Legal researcher and co-founder of Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy; the only one with legal background, yet the court held the team collectively projected a negative image of judiciary.
The court stated there is no reason for such persons to shape curriculum for future generations, as their work could harm institutional respect; disassociation applies to any public-funded role in education.
What Directives Did the Supreme Court Issue in This Case?
Immediate disassociation of the three experts from all curriculum-related work involving public funds by Centre, states, UTs, universities, and institutions.
Formation of an independent expert committee (retired judge, renowned academician, senior lawyer) to review and finalise legal studies content in NCERT textbooks across classes.
No publication of any rewritten chapter without approval from domain experts committee.
Broader review of textbooks ordered by Centre (via NCERT), but court preferred independent mechanism over internal NCERT review for credibility.
These steps aim to safeguard judicial integrity, ensure accurate portrayal of institutions, and protect young minds from potentially misleading content.
What is the Broader Significance for Education Policy and Judicial Independence?
This case highlights tensions between academic freedom in curriculum design and protection of constitutional institutions like judiciary under Article 121 and contempt laws.
It raises questions on expertise selection for sensitive topics like governance and judiciary in school books, emphasizing need for balanced, fact-checked content.
From UPSC view, it links to education reforms under NEP 2020, role of NCERT in implementing NCF, and judiciary's power to intervene in executive/legislative matters affecting public interest.
It underscores importance of institutional dignity (judiciary as pillar of democracy) and how content for students can influence perceptions of rule of law.
Mains Question
Critically examine the Supreme Court's intervention in the NCERT textbook controversy involving the Class 8 chapter on judiciary, analysing its implications for academic freedom, curriculum development, and the protection of institutional integrity in India's democratic framework.