New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday (February 26) imposed a complete ban on the class eight social science textbook published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) which included references to “corruption in judiciary” and issued show-cause notices to the secretary of school education in the Union Ministry of Education and the NCERT director.A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, said the contents of the chapter appeared, at first glance, to amount to serious misconduct. The court said it would consider whether action under the Contempt of Courts Act or other laws should follow if the publication was found to be a deliberate attempt to scandalise the judiciary.Further, the court imposed a complete ban directing that no further publication, reprinting or digital circulation be allowed. It ordered that all physical copies be seized and removed from circulation.“The NCERT in coordination with the Union and state education departments is directed to ensure that all copies of the book (hard or soft) currently in circulation, whether held in storage, retail outlets, or educational institutions, are seized and removed from public access. Compliance be filed,” the bench was quoted as saying by Live Law.The bench made it clear that responsibility for compliance would rest personally with the NCERT director and school principals wherever the book had reached.“It shall be personal responsibility of NCERT director and the principal of every school where the book has reached to effectuate immediate seizure and sealing of all copies of the book in their premises and submit a compliance report. Ensure that no instruction is imparted based on the subject book. Principal secretaries of all states are to comply. Compliance to be sent within two weeks,” the bench said.It added: “As an abundant precaution, a complete blanket ban is hereby imposed on any further publication, reprinting or digital dissemination of the book. Any attempt to circumvent this order through electronic means or altered titles shall be seen as direct interference, willful breach and defiance of directions.”The bench also directed the NCERT director to provide the names and credentials of those involved in drafting the chapter and to produce the minutes of meetings where it was discussed and finalised.During the hearing, the court criticised the tone of the NCERT’s response to earlier queries, calling it “contemptuous and reckless.” It observed that the chapter cited complaints against judges in a way that suggested inaction and that remarks attributed to former Chief Justice B.R. Gavai had been presented out of context. According to the bench, there appeared to be a “calculated move to undermine the institutional authority and demean dignity of the institution.”At the same time, the judges clarified that they were not acting to silence legitimate scrutiny. They underlined that the silence is egregious given the “sheer volume of high-ranking officials who have been censured by this court for corrupt practices and siphoning of public funds”. “We may however hasten to add that we do not propose to initiate the suo motu proceedings to stifle any legitimate criticism or to stop any individual from exercising the right to scrutinise public institutions, including the judiciary,” the bench observed, as per LiveLaw.Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the chapter had already been withdrawn and that only 32 copies had reached the market, which would be retrieved. He said the NCERT had expressed regret and that those who defended the chapter would not be associated with the body or any ministry in the future.He also pointed to another chapter titled “justice delayed is justice denied,” which he said contained inaccurate data on case backlogs. “We cannot teach our children that justice is denied in the country,” he submitted.The Chief Justice, however, questioned the adequacy of the response, remarking that the official press note lacked a clear apology.“That’s very little consequence. They fired gunshot, judiciary is bleeding today,” he said.Calling the episode a “deep-rooted, well-orchestrated conspiracy,” he added, “As the head of the institution, I must find out who the persons who are responsible behind it. Heads must roll, I am not going to close these proceedings.”Senior advocate Kapil Sibal told the court that soft copies of the chapter were being widely shared online, prompting Justice Bagchi to suggest that the Union government take steps to have them removed.The controversy began after media reports highlighted that the new textbook described corruption and case backlogs as major challenges facing the judiciary. The court had taken suo motu cognisance earlier this week after concerns were raised by senior lawyers in open court.Following the court’s initial remarks, NCERT issued a statement saying the chapter would be rewritten after consultation and would be available for the 2026–27 academic session, acknowledging that the content was “inappropriate” and attributing it to an “error of judgment.”“The National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT) holds the judiciary in highest esteem and considers it to be the upholder of the Indian Constitution and protector of Fundamental Rights. The aforesaid error is purely unintentional and NCERT regrets the inclusion of inappropriate material in the said chapter,” the NCERT said in the press statement issued on Wednesday (February 25).It added: “NCERT reiterates that the objective of the new textbooks is to strengthen constitutional literacy, institutional respect, and informed understanding of democratic participation amongst students. There is no intent to question or diminish the authority of any constitutional body. As part of its continuous review process, NCERT remains open to constructive feedback. And hence, the same shall be re-written, with consultation of the appropriate authority, as necessary, and would be made available to students of Class 8 accordingly on the commencement of academic session 2026-27.”