The Supreme Court has assured an early hearing on the issue of the chapter on “judicial corruption” in the NCERT’s Class 8 social science textbook . Chief Justice Surya Kant said he has taken cognizance of the matter and that no one will be allowed to tarnish the image of the judiciary.
This assurance was given after senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi raised the issue before the court on February 25, 2026. The CJI said that lawyers and judges across the country are concerned about the issue and that he will fulfil his responsibility as the head of the judiciary.
The court strongly objected to a chapter in the new Class 8 textbook of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) that mentions “corruption in the judiciary.” Justice Joymalya Bagchi termed it an attack on the basic structure of the Constitution.
What does the book say?
According to PTI, the new book states that corruption, a high backlog of cases, and a shortage of judges are the major challenges facing the judicial system. The chapters discuss the code of conduct for judges, the hierarchical structure of courts, access to justice, and efforts to increase transparency in the system. It also states that wherever cases of corruption are reported, swift and decisive action is taken.
According to the book’s data, approximately 81,000 cases are pending in the Supreme Court , 6.24 million in the High Courts, and over 47 million in the district and subordinate courts . Furthermore, the judiciary’s internal accountability systems and grievance redressal through CPGRAMS are mentioned. Between 2017 and 2021, this mechanism reportedly received over 1,600 complaints.
The book also quotes former Chief Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai , who described corruption and misconduct within the judiciary as detrimental to public trust, and called transparency and accountability core values of democracy.
Now, a quick hearing by the Supreme Court will decide what should be the limit and language of presentation of such sensitive topics in the educational curriculum.