NCERT Judiciary Chapter Row: The Supreme Court today asked the Centre and the state government institutions receiving public funds to dissociate the chairperson of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) social science curriculum and two other associate members in preparing or finalising school curriculum and textbooks.
The Apex court’s decision comes after the recent controversy over a sub-chapter titled “Corruption in the Judiciary” in the Class 8 NCERT Social Science textbook.
Chapter drafted by the textbook development team: SC
The Supreme Court, while hearing a suo motu case concerning NCERT’s Class 8 social science book, which contained “offending” contents on corruption in the judiciary, noted that the chapter was drafted by the textbook development team under the chairmanship of Professor Michel Danino, PTI reported.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant directed the Centre, States, Union Territories and universities to forthwith disassociate the three experts who drafted the controversial chapter. The textbook development team was under the chairmanship of Danino and consisted of Suparna Diwakar and Alok Prasanna Kumar as its members, the report added.
The Bench, also comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, said the three experts who drafted the chapter can move the apex court for modification of the order, the PTI report said.
Apex court directs to set up panel of domain experts
The Supreme Court has also directed the Centre to constitute a committee of domain experts within a week to finalise the curriculum related to legal studies in NCERT textbooks, PTI report said.
The court said that its orders in the matter were not intended to prevent any healthy and objective criticism of the institutional function of the judiciary, the report added.
It said the panel of experts to finalise the curriculum related to legal studies would include a former judge, an academician and a renowned law practitioner. The Bench asked the Centre to also associate the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, in finalising the curriculum related to legal studies, the PTI report said.
During the hearing, the Centre informed the Bench that it has directed the NCERT to review textbooks of all classes. The Bench observed that instead of asking the NCERT to do so, it would have appreciated if the Centre constituted an expert committee to review the curriculum, the report added.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the government has asked the NCERT to review textbooks of all classes, not just class eight. He assured the Bench that a panel of domain experts would be constituted to examine the curriculum, the PTI report said.
On February 26, the Supreme Court imposed a “complete blanket ban” on any further publication, reprinting or digital dissemination of NCERT’s Class 8 social science book as it contains “offending” contents on corruption in the judiciary, saying they have fired a gunshot and the judiciary is “bleeding”.
(With inputs from PTI)
