The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) released a revised version of the Class 8 social science book on February 23, 2026. The new textbook introduced a section on "Corruption in Judiciary," marking a significant shift from earlier editions that mainly focused on the structure and role of courts. The news spread rapidly on social media platforms, sparking widespread debates. Taking serious objection to the newly launched books, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant stated on Wednesday (Feb 25) that he would not "allow" anyone to defame or denigrate the institution, while adding that concrete steps would be taken.
Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal, and Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, mentioned the issue before the CJI today: "We are deeply disturbed as the members of this institution to find that children of Class 8 students are being taught about corruption in the judiciary. It is part of the NCERT. We have a great stake in the institution; it is entirely scandalous. We have the copies of the book," Sibal said, according to the reports.
CJI Suryakant replied that he is cognizant of the issue and even got numerous calls and SMSs regarding the same.
"I can assure all of you. I am fully aware of it," CJI said. When Sibal said that he hoped the Court will take suo motu notice of the matter, CJI said, "Wait for a day. This is definitely concerning the entire institution. The bar and the bench are perturbed. Every stakeholder in the system is really perturbed. I am receiving a lot of calls and messages. There are judges of High Courts who are perturbed. I have already passed an order and am taking the matter suo motu. I will not allow anyone on the earth to taint the integrity of the institution and defame the institution. Whosoever high it may be, the law will take its course. I know how to deal with it," CJI said according to the reports.
"I will not allow anyone to defame the institution. I know how to deal with it," CJI stated. When Sibal urged CJI to take a suo motu case on the issue, he pledged to take proactive measures.
"I have taken cognizance of it. It seems to be a deliberate and calculated measure to... I don't want to say anything more...," CJI added.
Singhvi further stated that 'corruption' exists in every field and that the issue is being skewedly portrayed.
The new chapter includes a section on “corruption at various levels of the judiciary” and “massive backlog" of cases due to many reasons including insufficient number of judges, poor infrastructure, and complex legal process.
The book cites pending cases: 81,000 in the Supreme Court, 62.4 lakh in High Courts, and 4.7 crore in district and subordinate courts.
It further discusses “impeachment of judges,” explaining that no one is above the law and that even judges can be removed in serious cases.
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