New Delhi, March 10: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) publicly issued an unconditional apology on Tuesday. This comes in response to significant controversy surrounding a chapter in its Class 8 social science textbook. In light of the backlash, NCERT has decided to retract the entire textbook.
Recently, NCERT published a Class 8 social science book titled “Exploring Society: India and Beyond” (Part-2). This book included a chapter titled “The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society,” which contained contentious material regarding the judicial system. This led to objections from various quarters, including a formal complaint from the Supreme Court.
In an official statement, NCERT’s director and council members expressed their regret for the situation caused by the chapter, offering a public apology without any conditions or explanations. They clarified that the entire textbook containing the controversial chapter has been withdrawn and is no longer available.
The council emphasized its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of accuracy, sensitivity, and responsibility while preparing educational materials. It is noteworthy that NCERT textbooks are used in many schools across the country, and several state boards rely on them, making any issues with textbook content directly linked to the education system, curriculum development, and institutional accountability.
Before NCERT’s apology, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had expressed regret over the textbook. He stated that actions would be taken against those responsible for writing the problematic chapter and mentioned an investigation into the matter. He assured that there was no intention to disrespect the judiciary and reiterated his regret regarding the publication.
Minister Pradhan remarked, “We hold the judiciary in the highest regard. We will fully comply with what the judiciary has stated. I am deeply saddened by what has occurred and express my sincere apologies.”
According to the education minister, upon learning of the issue, he immediately directed NCERT to withdraw all copies of the book. He also instructed that these books should not be distributed further, emphasizing that there was no intention to disrespect the judiciary and that the incident is being taken seriously.
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