NCERT book row: Revised version of controversial Class 8 social science textbook to be released next week

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is set to release the revised Class 8 Social Science textbook within a week, following changes to a controversial chapter on the judiciary that had earlier drawn strong objections from the Supreme Court.

According to sources in the Ministry of Education, the revised version has cleared key review stages and is now awaiting final approval.

Revised book clears expert review

The updated textbook has been vetted by an expert panel constituted by NCERT to review the contentious content.

“The revised book has been approved by the expert panel. There is a syllabus committee meeting by the NCERT, which will give final clearance. Printing is expected to begin later this week,” a source told ANI.

Once cleared, the printing process is expected to begin immediately, with the book likely to be available in the market shortly.

The controversy and subsequent withdrawal of the textbook have also led to delays in its availability for students, especially as the academic session began on April 1 across schools. 

With NCERT revising the content, schools have had to manage without the updated textbook or rely on interim materials. This development comes at a time when NCERT is already undertaking a broader revision of textbooks for Classes 6 to 12. 

What was the controversy?

The textbook, named ‘Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part II)’, was withdrawn earlier this year after a chapter titled ‘The Role of Judiciary in Our Society’ triggered controversy.

The chapter had referred to corruption and systemic challenges within the judiciary, including delays and structural issues in courts.

Following the backlash, the Supreme Court imposed a blanket ban on the publication, reprinting, and circulation of the book, describing parts of the content as “offending” and raising concerns about its impact on the institution.

In response, NCERT issued an unconditional apology and withdrew the textbook completely.

The move came after criticism that the chapter highlighted issues such as corruption at various levels of the judiciary and large case backlogs, which some argued were presented inappropriately for school students.

Following the controversy, the Centre informed the court that an expert committee had been formed to revise the chapter.

Separately, NCERT also reconstituted a 20-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) to oversee curriculum design for higher classes.

The panel includes members from institutions such as IIT Madras, the Indian Council of Historical Research, and the National Law School of India University.