A revised NCERT Class 8 social science textbook has sparked controversy over a chapter on the judiciary that touches on sensitive issues — corruption and the mounting backlog of cases in Indian courts. The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the content, saying it could undermine public confidence in the judiciary, and issued orders banning the circulation of the textbook in any form, including physical and digital copies.
The court also issued show-cause notices to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and education officials and directed that all existing copies be seized.
The current government has reportedly set up a “Project Office” comprising “consultants” who make sure the content is ideologically aligned with the politics of the current regime.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took strong exception to the content. The Ministry of Education (MoE) directed NCERT to halt the distribution of the book. NCERT apologised for the “error”, and said it will revise the chapter, titled ‘The Role of the Judiciary in our Society’, with “consultation of the appropriate authority”, before reintroducing it.
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The controversy has brought into focus a fundamental question: who writes these school textbooks, how are they approved, and what oversight exists before they reach classrooms?
Who’s the author?
Textbooks prescribed in Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools are developed not by CBSE itself, but by NCERT, an autonomous body established in 1961 under the Ministry of Education. NCERT is responsible for designing curriculum frameworks and preparing textbooks aligned with them. CBSE, in turn, prescribes these NCERT textbooks for affiliated schools. In other words, CBSE mandates usage, but it does not author the content.
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When new textbooks are developed or revised, usually after the introduction of a new National Curriculum Framework (NCF), NCERT sets up subject-specific committees. These typically include academics from universities, school teachers, curriculum experts, and sometimes domain specialists.
A Textbook Development Committee (TDC) drafts the chapters. The drafting process involves multiple contributors, not a single author.
Once drafted, chapters undergo internal review within NCERT. Subject experts examine the text for factual accuracy, pedagogical soundness, and age appropriateness. The draft is then placed before broader curricular committees for further scrutiny. Only after these rounds of review is the book cleared for publication. The idea behind this layered structure is to prevent factual errors and ensure balanced presentation of complex topics.
There is no system in which a minister or political executive signs off on individual chapters.
Role of MoE?
Although NCERT enjoys academic autonomy, it functions under the administrative control of the MoE. The Ministry sets overall policy direction through documents like the National Education Policy and approves major curriculum frameworks. There is no direct ministerial involvement in the day-to-day textbook drafting process.
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However, sources say, under the current government, a “Project Office” has been set up, comprising “consultants” who make sure the content is ideologically aligned with the politics of the current regime.
While there is no direct involvement, the Ministry can intervene after publication if serious objections arise. It can seek explanations from NCERT, order revisions, or take administrative action.
Is there ideological influence?
Textbook writing in India has long been a politically sensitive issue. Governments of different ideological persuasions have, over decades, revised or removed portions of textbooks to reflect their priorities or interpretations of history.
Formally, textbooks are written by academic committees, but the composition of those committees often reflects the ruling party’s political orientations. While this does not mean every chapter is politically directed, it does mean that education policy and academic authorship are not entirely insulated from broader ideological currents.
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Ultimately, CBSE textbooks are drafted and finalised by NCERT through expert committees, reviewed internally, and published after institutional clearance. Officially, the MoE provides policy oversight but does not approve individual chapters, although sources say that the oversight and clearance of content under the current government is far greater than before. Judicial intervention as an oversight mechanism is typically triggered in response to controversy.
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