NEW DELHI: The National Council for Educational Research and Technology (NCERT) on Wednesday night said it would rewrite the chapter on “The role of Judiciary in our Society” in its Social Science textbook for Class VIII in consultation with the appropriate authority.
NCERT has stopped the distribution of the book following orders from the Education Ministry, it said.
In a statement released to the media after a marathon meeting by NCERT officials at its head office, it regretted the inclusion of “inappropriate material” in the said chapter. There is no intent to question or diminish the authority of any constitutional body, it said.
The revised Social Science textbook `Exploring Society: Indian and Beyond, Vol II” released on Monday (Feb 24) created a furore in the legal community due to a section titled `Corruption in the judiciary’. It was withdrawn from sales on Tuesday. Elaborating on the code of conduct that judges need to follow in personal and professional life, it spoke of the 1,600 complaints against the judiciary received through a grievances system from 2017 to 2021.
The statement said that certain inappropriate textual material and errors of judgment have inadvertently crept into Chapter No. 4 (pages 125 – 142).
“NCERT reiterates that the objective of the new textbooks is to strengthen constitutional literacy, institutional respect, and informed understanding of democratic participation amongst students. “There is no intent to question or diminish the authority of any constitutional body. As part of its continuous review process, NCERT remains open to constructive feedback. And hence the same shall be rewritten with consultation of the appropriate authority, as necessary, and would be made available to students of Class 8 accordingly on the commencement of the academic session,” it said.
The statement added that NCERT held the judiciary in the highest esteem and considers it to be upholder of the Indian Constitution and protector of Fundamental Rights. “The aforesaid error is purely unintentional, and NCERT regrets the inclusion of inappropriate material in the said chapter,” NCERT said.
“The Department of School Education and Literacy (Ministry of Education) had directed that the distribution of the book be put on strict hold until further orders. The same has been complied with,” the statement said.
As part of its continuous review process, NCERT remains open to constructive feedback, it said.
What is the controversy
The chapter which courted controversy had stated, “Judges are bound by a code of conduct that governs not only their behaviour in court, but also how they conduct themselves outside it. This code, known as the Bangalore Principles of Judicial conduct, emphasises that judges must be seen by the public as fair and impartial. They must avoid any action, in their personal and professional lives, that could cause the public to question their integrity,” it said.
The chapter goes on to charge, “When judges fail to uphold these standards, the judiciary has an internal mechanism to maintain accountability and ensure the judges follow the values of judicial life. “
There is an established procedure for receiving complaints through the Centralised Public Grievance Redressal and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS). “More than 1,600 judiciary-related complaints were received between 2017 and 2021 through the grievance system.” It adds.
It went on to say that in cases where the allegations are serious, the Parliament can remove a judge by passing a motion of impeachment.
Sharing data on the pendency of cases, it reveals that 81,000 cases were pending in the Supreme Court. 62,40,000 cases are pending in the High Court and 4.7 crore cases in the district and subordinate courts.
