NEW DELHI — The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, expressed its dissatisfaction with the Centre’s decision to have the NCERT self-review its textbooks, suggesting instead that an independent expert committee should oversee a complete curriculum overhaul. The remarks came during the hearing of a suo motu case regarding “offending” content in the Class 8 social science textbook that allegedly cast the judiciary in a negative light regarding corruption.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi noted that a government-led expert panel would carry more weight than an internal NCERT review. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, assured the court that the government has already directed the NCERT to review textbooks across all classes and promised that a panel of domain experts would be constituted to vet all future publications.
The Judiciary “Bleeding”: Key Court Observations
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Publication Ban: On February 26, the apex court imposed a “complete blanket ban” on the publication, reprinting, and digital dissemination of the Class 8 social science book. The bench remarked that the content was akin to a “gunshot” that left the judiciary “bleeding.”
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Seizure of Books: The Court previously directed that all copies of the controversial book currently in circulation be immediately seized and removed from public access to protect the dignity of the institution.
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Allegations of Conspiracy: The bench observed that the inclusion of such material appeared to be a “deep-rooted conspiracy” and a “calculated move” to undermine the authority of the Indian legal system.
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Unconditional Apology: Solicitor General Mehta informed the bench that the Director of NCERT has filed an affidavit tendering an “unconditional and unqualified apology” for the oversight.
The Centre has emphasized that “systemic changes” are underway to ensure that no educational material is published without rigorous vetting by subject matter experts. The Supreme Court’s intervention marks a significant moment in the oversight of national educational content, emphasizing that academic freedom must not be used to demean constitutional institutions.
