New Delhi: The Supreme Court lifts ban on 3 academics involved in the controversial NCERT Class 8 chapter on judiciary and corruption.
In a major development, the Court recalled its earlier order that had barred the academics from participating in educational projects linked to government institutions.
The Court also removed strong adverse comments made earlier against them.
Details of NCERT Judiciary Chapter Row
The Supreme Court had earlier taken suo motu cognisance of an NCERT Class 8 Social Science chapter discussing corruption in the judiciary and judicial delays.
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Earlier orders included:
- Ban on circulation of the chapter
- Direction to remove the chapter
- Advice to governments and institutions to disassociate from the three academics involved
Now, the Court has partially reversed that decision.
Who Are The Academics?
The three academics involved are:
- Michel Danino
- Suparna Diwakar
- Alok Prasanna Kumar
They had approached the Court seeking recall of the earlier order.
NCERT Judiciary Chapter Row: What Did The Supreme Court Say?
A Bench led by Surya Kant, along with Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi, said:
- The earlier adverse direction would be recalled
- Governments can independently decide whether to associate these academics in future projects
- The observations accusing them of intentionally harming the judiciary’s image were removed
However, the Court still described the chapter as “wholly undesirable.”
Why Did The Court Change Its Earlier Order?
During the hearing, lawyers for the academics argued:
- The chapter was prepared collectively, not by one individual
- The academics were not heard before the earlier order
- There was no malicious intent
- The chapter aimed to encourage realistic understanding of institutions
The Bench accepted that the explanation provided by the academics deserved consideration.
NCERT Judiciary Chapter Row: Government’s Stand
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Court that:
- The Union Government may still choose not to associate these persons with future academic work
- The controversial chapter was not properly approved by the full committee
The Court left the final decision to governments and institutions.
Background Of The NCERT Judiciary Chapter Row
The controversy began after the NCERT textbook included sections discussing:
- Corruption in the judiciary
- Judicial delays
- Case backlog
- Access to justice
The Supreme Court had earlier objected to the way the judiciary was presented in the textbook.
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