'Entire book withdrawn': After SC rap, NCERT issues public apology over chapter on corruption in judiciary

NEW DELHI: National Council of Educational Research on Tuesday issued a public apology for publishing a chapter on discussing “corruption” and “backlogs” in the judiciary."National Council of Educational Research and Training [NCERT] has recently published a social science text book "Exploring Society: India and Beyond" Grade 8 (Part II) which contained Chapter IV titled The Role of Judiciary in our Society," NCERT said. "The Director and Members of NCERT hereby tender an unconditional and unqualified apology for the said Chapter IV. The entire book has been withdrawn and is not available," it added. This comes after the Supreme Court reprimanded the NCERT over a chapter discussing “corruption” and “backlogs” in the judiciary, calling it a “deep-rooted and well-planned conspiracy.”The top court also issued a show-cause notice to the NCERT Director and the School Education Secretary, asking them to explain why action should not be taken against them over the controversial textbook content.Supreme Court also directed the seizure of physical and digital copies of the NCERT textbook in circulation that contained the chapter on judicial “corruption.”The bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi ordered, "The NCERT in coordination with the Union and state education depts is directed to ensure that all copies of the book (hard or soft) currently in circulation, whether held in storage, retail outlets, or educational institutions, are seized and removed from public access. Compliance be filed." Further, it said, "It shall be personal responsibility of NCERT director and the principal of every school where the book has reached to effectuate immediate seizure and sealing of all copies of the book in their premises and submit a compliance report. Ensure that no instruction is imparted based on the subject book. Principal secretaries of all states are to comply."