On February 26, 2026, the Supreme Court directed the immediate seizure of all physical and digital copies of the revised NCERT Class 8 Social Science textbook carrying references to “judicial corruption”, asking the Centre and states to comply without delay. The court’s intervention followed strong concerns that the content could undermine public confidence in the judiciary, marking the most dramatic escalation in a series of textbook controversies that have unfolded over the past five years. What began as curricular rationalisation during the pandemic years has steadily evolved into a wider political, academic and legal debate over history, ideology and institutional credibility. From the pruning of Mughal-era chapters to the latest judicial scrutiny, NCERT’s revisions have repeatedly triggered national-level controversy, parliamentary debates and now judicial action.
2021–22: ‘Rationalisation’ during pandemic sparks first debate
In the last five years, the first major controversy dates back to 2021–22, when NCERT undertook a “rationalisation” exercise citing pandemic-related academic burden. Several chapters across history and political science textbooks were removed or trimmed, including content on the Mughals, the Delhi Sultanate, the Non-Aligned Movement and parts of the Cold War.
NCERT maintained that the move aimed to reduce syllabus load and avoid content overlap across grades. However, critics argued that the deletions disproportionately affected medieval and modern political history, prompting questions about academic intent and ideological influence. The debate widened beyond textbooks to concerns about historical representation in school curricula.
2023: Mughal history deletions intensify academic pushback
In 2023, revised textbooks formally dropped detailed chapters on the Mughal Empire from certain classes. While NCERT clarified that references to the period remained in other grades, historians and educationists warned that the cumulative effect of multiple “minor” revisions was a significant reshaping of historical narrative.
Opposition leaders and academic bodies accused NCERT of selectively altering history, while the Council reiterated that the revisions followed expert committee recommendations and were in line with pedagogical restructuring. The issue became a flashpoint in parliamentary discussions and state-level curriculum debates.
2024: Political science changes and references to recent events
The controversy deepened in 2024 with edits to political science textbooks, including changes in references to contemporary political developments and movements. Some chapters were reworded or condensed, which critics said diluted discussions on democratic dissent and institutional accountability.
NCERT defended the revisions as part of a broader overhaul aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, emphasising competency-based learning and conceptual clarity. Yet, education experts cautioned that frequent changes without adequate public consultation risked eroding trust in textbook stability.
2025: New curriculum framework and ongoing scrutiny
In 2025, NCERT rolled out new textbooks under the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023, presenting them as a shift towards interdisciplinary and skills-based learning. However, scrutiny continued over what was included and excluded, particularly in social sciences.
Debates also emerged around language use, representation of historical figures and balance between factual content and interpretative narratives. While the Council insisted that textbooks were academically vetted, critics argued that cumulative revisions across years suggested a pattern rather than isolated pedagogical updates.
2026: Judiciary chapter triggers Supreme Court intervention
The controversy reached its peak in February 2026 with the introduction of a section in the Class 8 Social Science textbook discussing challenges faced by the judiciary, including corruption, pendency of cases and access to justice issues. The content, intended to explain institutional functioning, drew immediate legal and political attention.
Senior legal voices objected to the phrasing, calling it potentially damaging to the judiciary’s institutional credibility. Subsequently, the Supreme Court took cognisance and ordered the seizure of all copies containing the contentious excerpts, directing authorities to ensure immediate compliance.
This marked an unprecedented moment: rarely has a school textbook revision triggered such direct judicial intervention, signalling the sensitivity of institutional references in educational material.
Why the NCERT revisions became a recurring flashpoint
Several factors explain why NCERT’s textbook revisions have repeatedly sparked controversy:
Centralised impact: NCERT books are used by CBSE schools and adopted by many state boards, giving revisions nationwide implications.
Historical interpretation: Changes to history textbooks often intersect with ideological and political debates.
Institutional sensitivity: References to contemporary institutions like Parliament, judiciary, movements, carry immediate public and legal ramifications.
Frequency of revisions: Multiple edits across successive years have amplified scrutiny, even when each change is individually framed as academic rationalisation.
Academic autonomy vs institutional accountability
The larger question emerges is the balance between academic autonomy and institutional accountability. Curriculum bodies argue that periodic revisions are essential to keep textbooks updated and aligned with new pedagogical frameworks. Critics, however, say that transparency, peer review and wider consultation are equally necessary when changes affect historical narratives or institutional portrayal.
What happens next
Following the Supreme Court’s directive, the immediate focus will be on compliance and possible revisions to the contentious chapter. The development could also set a precedent for future scrutiny of educational content that touches upon constitutional institutions.
More broadly, the episode may accelerate calls for a more transparent textbook review mechanism involving historians, educators, legal experts and civil society. With NEP-driven curricular reforms still underway, NCERT’s future revisions are likely to face even closer examination.
Five years on, the NCERT controversy timeline, from Mughal history deletions to Supreme Court-ordered seizure of textbooks-underscores how school curricula have become a central arena where education, politics, history and law intersect.
