gave The Supreme Court Three academics attached to the Class 8 NCERT sub-chapter titled “Corruption in the Indian Judiciary” on Friday assured that it would delete some of the strong observations made against them earlier, including remarks questioning their academic integrity and suggesting institutions were reluctant to engage them professionally.According to ANI, the assurance was given by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalia Bagchi during the hearing of a case related to the content of the controversial textbook.The bench clarified that the court’s first observations in the suo motu proceedings were on the “content” contained in the NCERT textbook and not against the persons who prepared it.“We knew the observations were tough. We knew it affected them. In response, we are deleting these sections,” Justice Bagchi observed during the hearing as reported by ANI.
The court says that there was concern over the appearance. Judiciary
Senior advocates Shyam Dewan, Gopal Sankaranarayanan, and Jay Sai Deepak, appearing for academics, urged the court to remove the remarks which allegedly damaged the professional reputation of their clients. The lawyers argued that the academics had “zero intention” to bring the judiciary into disrepute.However, the Supreme Court made it clear that it was never against academic debate on the judiciary. The concern, the bench said, is the manner in which corruption is presented in the textbook material as if it were a defining or exclusive feature of the judicial system.The bench noted that the chapter lacked balance and failed to present the broader role played by the judiciary in ensuring access to justice.
‘Balanced approach missing in educational content’
The court also advised educationists to exercise restraint and responsibility while preparing educational materials related to constitutional institutions.The judges observed that educational content on sensitive subjects should reflect seriousness and respect for the justice delivery system as well as the constitutional framework.Justice Bagchi pointed out that the chapter overlooked several important aspects, including legal aid measures, access to justice, and the role of judges in strengthening legal services for citizens.“Access to justice through legal aid, the role of judges in legal services, and legal aid have been completely ignored,” Justice Bagchi remarked.
The disputed chapter had initiated the proceedings on its own.
The controversy started after the inclusion of a sub-chapter “Corruption in the Indian Judiciary” in the NCERT Class 8 textbook. Later, the Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the matter and issued strict observations against those involved in the preparation of the material.The subsection was subsequently removed. During Friday’s brief hearing, the court acknowledged that some of its earlier remarks had gone too far and assured academics that harsh sections would be stricken from the record.(with input from ANI)
