NCERT has also halted circulation of the textbook, hours after removing it from its website.
“It has been observed that certain inappropriate textual material and an error of judgement have inadvertently crept into the concerned chapter,” a senior NCERT official said.
The NCERT is trying to retrieve the 38 copies of the now-withdrawn Class 8 Social Science Part 2 textbook that were sold. Of the 2.25 lakh copies printed, 2,24,962 remained in inventory and have been recalled to the warehouse, sources in the Education Ministry told ANI.
Emphasising its respect for the judiciary, NCERT said it “holds the judiciary in the highest esteem as the upholder of the Indian Constitution and the protector of fundamental rights,” adding that the lapse was unintentional.
The council reiterated that the objective of the revised textbooks is to strengthen constitutional literacy, institutional respect and informed democratic participation among students. “There is no intent to question or diminish the authority of any constitutional body,” the official said.
As part of its review process, NCERT said the chapter will be rewritten after consultations and made available to Class 8 students from the start of the 2026–27 academic session.
A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, took suo motu cognisance of the issue after senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi mentioned the matter for urgent hearing.
The Chief Justice objected strongly to the chapter, stating that no one would be permitted to defame the judiciary or undermine its integrity.
The contentious chapter in NCERT’s new Class 8 social science textbook referred to corruption, case backlogs and a shortage of judges as challenges faced by the judicial system.
First Published: Feb 26, 2026 6:41 AM IST
