Supreme Court Bans NCERT Textbook over Chapter on Judicial Corruption, Issues Contempt Notice

The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of a Class 8 NCERT social science textbook chapter referring to corruption in the judiciary and imposed a complete ban on its publication, reprinting, and digital circulation.

The Court ordered the seizure of all physical copies and directed that no instruction be imparted based on the book. 

It issued a show-cause notice to the NCERT Director and the Secretary of School Education, Ministry of Education, asking why action under the Contempt of Courts Act should not be initiated.

The Court observed that the content may amount to criminal contempt if it deliberately scandalised the judiciary.