NCERT’s new Class 8 textbook flags ‘corruption in judiciary’; Kapil Sibal says ‘what about others’

NCERT’s revised Class 8 Social Science textbook introduces a section on “corruption in the judiciary,” sparking political debate. While detailing case backlogs and accountability mechanisms, the addition drew criticism from Kapil Sibal, who questioned why corruption in other institutions was not highlighted

New Delhi:  The newly released Class 8 Social Science textbook by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has introduced a section addressing “corruption in the judiciary” under a chapter titled ‘The role of the judiciary in our society’, triggering political debate.

In the revised chapter, the textbook identifies “corruption at various levels of the judiciary” and a “massive backlog…on account of multiple reasons, such as a lack of an adequate number of judges, complicated legal procedures, and poor infrastructure” among the key challenges confronting the judicial system.

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By contrast, the earlier edition of the textbook focused primarily on explaining the role of the judiciary, the concept of an independent judiciary, the structure of courts, and citizens’ access to them, without explicitly mentioning corruption. It did, however, acknowledge delays in the justice delivery system.

“The phrase ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ is often used to characterise this extended time period that courts take,” the earlier book had noted, referring to the prolonged pendency of cases. The inclusion of a specific reference to corruption in the new edition has drawn criticism from some quarters.

Congress MP and Supreme Court advocate Kapil Sibal questioned the emphasis on judicial corruption while pointing to alleged wrongdoing in other spheres.

Referring to the new content, the MP asked why similar attention was not given to the “massive corruption” of “politicians, including ministers, public servants, investigation agencies”, and why governments “brush them under the carpet.” “NCERT’s Class 8 book includes a section on: Corruption in the judiciary! What about the massive corruption of: Politicians, including ministers, public servants, and investigation agencies. And why governments brush them under the carpet!” Sibal posted on X.

The updated textbook also provides approximate figures on pending cases across the judiciary, citing around 81,000 cases in the Supreme Court, nearly 62,40,000 in High Courts, and about 4,70,00,000 in District and Subordinate Courts.

In discussing accountability, the section on “corruption in the judiciary” explains that judges are bound by a code of conduct that regulates not only their courtroom behaviour but also their conduct outside court. It outlines the judiciary’s internal mechanisms for ensuring accountability and mentions an “established procedure for receiving complaints through the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS),” noting that over 1,600 complaints were received between 2017 and 2021.

The book also cites former Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, who in July 2025 said: “…Sadly, there have been instances of corruption and misconduct that have surfaced even within the judiciary. Such occurrences inevitably have a negative impact on public confidence, potentially eroding faith in the integrity of the system as a whole. However, the path to rebuilding this trust lies in the swift, decisive and transparent action taken to address and resolve these issues… Any erosion of this confidence risks weakening the judiciary’s constitutional role as the ultimate arbiter of rights. Transparency and accountability are democratic virtues.”

NCERT has been revising textbooks across classes in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for School Education. New textbooks for Classes 1 to 8 have been released so far, with the first part of the updated Class 8 Social Science book having been issued in July last year.