Supreme Court Takes Strong Exception to NCERT Textbook's Judiciary Corruption Reference
The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday expressed serious concern over a Class 8 NCERT social science textbook that contains references to corruption within the judicial system. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant took suo motu cognizance of the matter, demonstrating the court's proactive stance on protecting judicial reputation.
Chief Justice's Firm Stance on Judicial Integrity
Chief Justice Surya Kant made it unequivocally clear that he would "not allow anyone on earth to defame judiciary." This strong statement came during proceedings where the court examined the newly introduced NCERT textbook content that discusses challenges facing India's judicial system.
Revised NCERT Textbook Content Under Scrutiny
The textbook chapter titled 'The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society' represents a significant departure from earlier editions. While previous versions primarily focused on explaining court structures and basic judicial functions, the revised chapter expands its scope to address systemic issues affecting judicial performance.
The controversial section specifically addresses corruption within the judicial system, stating: "People do experience corruption at various levels of the judiciary. For the poor and the disadvantaged, this can worsen the issue of access to justice."
Comprehensive Analysis of Judicial Challenges
The NCERT textbook provides a detailed examination of multiple challenges facing India's judicial system:
- Corruption concerns affecting access to justice, particularly for economically weaker sections
- Massive backlog of cases across all court levels
- Inadequate number of judges relative to case volumes
- Transparency and technology initiatives being implemented at state and union levels
Alarming Statistics on Pending Cases
The textbook presents sobering data about India's judicial backlog:
- Approximately 81,000 cases pending in the Supreme Court
- Around 62.40 lakh cases pending in various High Courts
- Approximately 4.70 crore cases pending in district and subordinate courts
Balanced Perspective on Judicial Reform
Despite highlighting these challenges, the textbook acknowledges ongoing efforts to strengthen the judicial system. It notes that "efforts are constantly being made at the State and Union levels to build faith and increase transparency in the judicial system, including through the use of technology, and to take swift and decisive action against instances of corruption wherever they may arise."
The Supreme Court's intervention comes at a crucial time when educational materials are increasingly addressing real-world governance issues. The court's suo motu action underscores the delicate balance between academic freedom and institutional reputation protection in democratic discourse about governance institutions.
