New Delhi, Feb 25— The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of a controversial section on “corruption in the judiciary” included in a newly released Class 8 Social Science textbook published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant saying the court would not allow the institution to be defamed.
“I will not allow anyone to defame the institution. I know how to deal with it. It seems to be a calculated move,” the CJI said after senior advocate Kapil Sibal mentioned the issue before the bench and urged the court to take cognisance.
Responding to Sibal’s submission that school students were being taught that the judiciary was corrupt, the CJI said the court was already seized of the matter. “We have already taken cognisance of the issue. We are aware and we will act,” he said.
“Please wait for a few days. The Bar and the Bench are perturbed. High court judges are perturbed. As head of the institution, I have done my duty. Law will take its own course,” Justice Kant added, declining to elaborate further.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi also raised concerns, questioning why the judiciary alone was singled out. “It’s there in other areas also, but judicial corruption?” he asked.
The controversy centres on Part II of the Class 8 Social Science textbook, released on February 23 after a prolonged delay. The chapter titled ‘The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society’ introduces a section on “Corruption in the Judiciary” and refers to complaints against judges and case pendency across courts.
The textbook states that judges are bound by a code of conduct governing their behaviour both inside and outside the courtroom, and outlines internal accountability mechanisms, including the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS). It says over 1,600 complaints were received through CPGRAMS between 2017 and 2021.
The chapter also quotes former Chief Justice of India B R Gavai, who said in July 2025: “However, the path to rebuilding this trust lies in swift, decisive and transparent action taken to address and resolve these issues. Transparency and accountability are democratic virtues.”
Moreover, the textbook lists the approximate number of pending cases — about 81,000 in the Supreme Court, 62.4 lakh in high courts, and 4.7 crore in district and subordinate courts — and notes that delays, rather than numbers alone, pose the deeper problem.
“In the high courts, nearly three-fourths of pending cases have remained unresolved for over a year, and half for more than three years. Some cases have remained unresolved for more than 50 years,” the chapter states.