The Union government has informed the Supreme Court that it has formed an expert committee to examine the revised NCERT Class 8 social science chapter on the judiciary. The move follows directions issued by the court amid an ongoing controversy over textbook content.
Panel composition and mandate
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant that the panel includes senior advocate and former Attorney General KK Venugopal, former Supreme Court judge Justice Indu Malhotra, and former Supreme Court judge Justice Aniruddha Bose, along with a vice chancellor.
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"We have appointed a committee… Mr Venugopal has accepted to be a member. Justice Indu Malhotra would be the judge. We have requested Justice Aniruddha Bose… and there will be one Vice Chancellor," Mehta submitted, as reported by Hindustan Times.
The committee has been tasked with reviewing the revised chapter before it is introduced into the curriculum.
Background of the textbook row
The issue stems from a Class 8 social science book titled Exploring Society: India and Beyond, which contained references to alleged corruption and pendency in the judiciary. The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the matter in February, calling the content potentially damaging to the institution’s dignity.
The court directed the immediate withdrawal of the book, including seizure of physical copies and removal of digital versions. NCERT and the Union government later issued unconditional apologies, and the chapter was withdrawn.
Court's observations and directions
The controversy resurfaced when the court was informed that a rewritten version of the chapter was being prepared. Expressing concern over the lack of transparency, the bench directed that no revised content be introduced without scrutiny by an independent expert panel.
During the hearing, the court also dealt with a separate plea challenging a passage in an older textbook. Declining to interfere, the Chief Justice observed, "Everyone has a right to have a viewpoint about a judgment of the court."
The bench noted that the matter had become infructuous since the textbook was being replaced and disposed of the petition.
The Centre's assurance on forming the committee comes after a series of observations by the court over the past month. The panel’s review is expected to determine whether the revised chapter meets the required standards before it is included in the academic curriculum.
