SC bars experts behind ‘judicial corruption’ chapter in NCERT book from further curriculum projects

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Centre and state governments to ensure that three persons who were involved in drafting a chapter about “corruption in the judiciary” in a now-withdrawn textbook are not associated with other curriculum projects, Live Law reported.

The chapter was part of a Class 8 social science textbook published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training. The educational body on Tuesday apologised for the chapter, and said that the entire book has been withdrawn.

This came two weeks after the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the matter and banned the publication and re-printing of the textbook.

An affidavit by NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani said that a visiting professor, Michel Danino, had supervised the drafting of the chapter, while educator Suparna Diwakar and legal researcher Alok Prasanna Kumar were also involved in the process, Live Law reported.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that either the three persons did not have “reasonable knowledge about the Indian judiciary”, or they knowingly misrepresented facts.

“There is no reason why such persons [should] be associated in any manner with the preparation of curriculum or finalisation of textbooks for the next generation,” Live Law quoted the court as saying.

The court directed the Union government, states, Union Territories and universities “to dissociate three of them forthwith and not to assign...

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