No intention to insult judiciary, will take action, says Pradhan on NCERT book row

Saying that he is “very sad”, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday (February 26, 2026) stated that the government had “no intention” of insulting the judiciary after the Supreme Court came down heavily on the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) for introducing a chapter on ‘corruption’ in the judiciary in a Class 8 textbook. The Minister promised to fix accountability and take action against those who drafted the controversial chapter.

SC hearing updates | Supreme Court orders blanket ban on NCERT textbook with chapter on ‘corruption’ in judiciary

Mr. Pradhan said the government “had full respect for the judiciary”.

“I am very sad at what has happened... There was no intention to insult the judiciary. An inquiry will be conducted and accountability fixed. Action will be taken against those involved in drafting the chapter. As soon as we got to know (about it), the circulation of the textbooks was put on hold,” the Union Minister said in Jamshedpur.

“We we have taken the issue very seriously. The court’s directives will be complied with,” he added.

Mr. Pradhan’s remarks came after the Supreme Court said that there was a “well-orchestrated conspiracy” to defame the judiciary and imposed a “complete blanket ban” on the book and ordered that all copies, physical and digital, be seized.

“They have fired the gunshot. The judiciary is bleeding,” a Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant said, a day after the NCERT apologised for “inappropriate content” and said it would be rewritten in consultation with appropriate authorities.

The Bench, also comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, issued show cause notices to the NCERT director and the Secretary of the Department of School Education, seeking an explanation on why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against those responsible.

The textbook states that corruption, massive backlog of cases, and the lack of an adequate number of judges are among the challenges faced by the judicial system.

After stern words from the Supreme Court that it will not allow “anyone on earth” to tarnish the judiciary’s integrity, NCERT removed the textbook from its website, with sources saying that the government was livid with the controversial references in the curriculum.