India Supreme Court Prompts NCERT Textbook Withdrawal

India's Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of a new Class 8 social science textbook published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training, objecting to a chapter that discusses corruption in the judiciary, leading to the book's withdrawal from circulation.

The three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and including Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, is set to hear the case on Thursday in New Delhi. The matter, titled "In Re Social Science Textbook For Grade 8 Part 2 Published by NCERT and Ancillary Issues," arose after the Chief Justice expressed strong displeasure on Wednesday over what he described as objectionable references that could defame the judiciary's integrity. In response, NCERT promptly removed the textbook from its official website and halted its sale, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi brought the issue to the court's attention, urging urgent consideration. Sibal told the bench that the content was "entirely scandalous," emphasizing that members of the judiciary were deeply disturbed by the inclusion of such material for eighth-grade students. Singhvi...