Supreme Court modifies ban on NCERT chapter authors’ involvement

The Supreme Court on Friday modified its March 11 order that had barred government bodies from associating with three academics involved in drafting a controversial textbook chapter on judicial corruption. The court withdrew its directive for the central and state governments to disassociate from the scholars and expunged its earlier finding that they had deliberately misrepresented facts.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi clarified that authorities may now make independent decisions on engaging professors Michel Danino, Suparna Diwakar, and Alok Prasanna Kumar for future academic projects, without being influenced by the court's prior observations. The decision came after the court heard a plea from the three academics, who explained that drafting the chapter was a collective process and no individual had sole authority over its content.

The court reiterated its position that the chapter, which listed corruption among challenges facing the judiciary, was "wholly undesirable and unnecessary." However, it stated that, based on the explanation provided, it was satisfied there was no malice on the part of the authors. The...