NCERT issues advisory, urges return of banned books with 'controversial' references to Judiciary

New Delhi: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) issued an advisory on Friday, urging those in possession of the banned eighth-grade textbooks containing the chapter on "Corruption in the Judiciary" to return them as soon as possible. In its strongly worded advisory, NCERT also called for the immediate removal of content related to the controversial chapter from the banned textbooks shared on social media.

What stepes did the Ministry of Education take?

The Union Ministry of Education wrote to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on Thursday, asking them to stop the dissemination of the controversial NCERT textbook through digital platforms and electronic media.

What did the NCERT advisory say?

The advisory stated that any individual or organization in possession of the NCERT textbook "Exploring Society: India and Beyond" may return it to NCERT headquarters. Earlier on Thursday, the Supreme Court imposed a complete ban on any future publication, reprint, or digital dissemination of the NCERT eighth-grade social science textbook.

What did the Congress say?

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh targeted the central government over the textbook controversy. He said the Supreme Court should investigate how textbooks have been rewritten and how they have become a tool for polarization and political settlement. In a post on X, Ramesh said the central government has caused serious damage over the past decade by infecting textbooks with its ideological virus.

What did the CPI(M) say?

Welcoming the Supreme Court's decision to ban the NCERT book, CPI(M) leader John Brittas said that just as the dignity of the judiciary has been protected, biased tampering with shared history should also be equally scrutinized. He said the NCERT's removal of references to issues such as the Gujarat riots, the demolition of the Babri Masjid, Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, Nathuram Godse's ideological background, and the ban on the RSS is worrying.