CJI Surya Kant takes strong exception to NCERT book chapter: "Won't let anyone taint judiciary - just wait"

New Delhi: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Wednesday took strong exception to the new NCERT class 8 book chapter containing portions regarding "corruption in the judiciary".

Calling the "selective" reference in the book as a "tentatively calculated, deep-rooted attempt" to denigrate the institution, he orally remarked that he would not allow anyone to defame the institution and would take appropriate action.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi verbally mentioned the issue in the open court, urging the CJI to take suo motu cognisance. "I will not let anything like that happen," CJI Kant said. "I can assure all of you. I am fully aware of it."


When Sibal said that he hoped the top court would take suo motu cognisance of the matter, the CJI replied, "Wait for a day. This is definitely concerning the entire institution. The bar and the bench are perturbed. Every stakeholder in the system is really perturbed; I am receiving a lot of calls and messages. There are judges of high courts who are perturbed. Since you have mentioned, I am informing you, I have already passed an order and am taking the matter suo motu."

CJI Kant added "I will not allow anyone on earth to taint the integrity of the institution and defame the institution. At any cost, I will not permit it. Whosoever high it may be, the law will take its course. I know how to deal with it."

The NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) social science textbooks for class 8 say corruption, a massive backlog of cases, and the lack of an adequate number of judges are among the challenges faced by the judicial system. A section titled 'Corruption in the Judiciary' in the new textbook states that judges are bound by a code of conduct that governs not only their behaviour in court, but also how they conduct themselves outside it.