NCERT row: Judicial intervention to safeguard pedagogical integrity of curriculum, says SC

New Delhi, Feb 26 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Thursday said that necessity for judicial intervention in the NCERT book matter has arisen not from a desire to suppress criticism but from the imperative to safeguard the pedagogical integrity of the national curriculum.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi imposed a blanket ban on any further publication, reprinting or digital dissemination of NCERT's Class 8 social science book which contains "offending" contents on corruption in the judiciary.

"We may, however, hasten to add that we do not propose to initiate the suo moto proceedings to stifle any legitimate critique or to bring to task any individual or organisation exercising their right to scrutinize public institution, including the judiciary," the bench said.

It said on the contrary, "we remain of the firm conviction that dissent, deliberation and rigorous discourse constitute the very vitality of a living democracy and serve as essential instruments of institutional accountability".

The top court passed the order in a suo motu case titled 'In Re: Social Science Textbook for Grade-8 (Part-2) Published by NCERT and Ancillary Issues'.

"The necessity for judicial intervention nevertheless has arisen not from a desire to suppress criticism but from the imperative to safeguard the pedagogical integrity of the national curriculum," the bench said.

Observing that there appeared to be a "deep-rooted conspiracy" and "calculated move" to undermine the institution and demean the dignity of judiciary, the apex court directed that all copies of the book - physical and digital - currently in circulation be immediately seized and removed from public access.

The bench issued show cause notices to the NCERT director and the secretary of the department of school education and literacy asking them to explain why suitable action, including that of contempt, be not initiated against them or all those found responsible for introducing the "offending" chapter in the book. PTI ABA MNL SJK ZMN