NCERT updates Class 8 textbook, flags 'corruption in judiciary', 'massive backlog' in courts as key challenges

The earlier textbook only explained the role of the judiciary, what an independent judiciary means, how courts are structured and how people can access them. The new Social Science textbook for Class 8, released by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) on Monday, now includes a section on "corruption in the judiciary". This has been added to a chapter titled "The role of the judiciary in our society". The chapter mentions "corruption at various levels of the judiciary" and also talks about a "massive backlog...on account of multiple reasons, such as a lack of an adequate number of judges, complicated legal procedures, and poor infrastructure" as some of the main "challenges" faced by the judicial system, according to a report by The Indian Express. How the new book differs from the old textbook The earlier textbook only explained the role of the judiciary, what an independent judiciary means, how courts are structured, and how people can access them. It did not mention corruption. However, it did say that one big problem for common people is the long time courts take to decide cases, the report mentioned. "The phrase 'justice delayed is justice denied' is often used to characterise this extended time period that courts take," it said. The new book also shares the approximate number of pending cases in different courts: 81,000 in the Supreme Court, 62,40,000 in High Courts, and 4,70,00,000 in District and Subordinate Courts, as per the report. Code of conduct and complaint mechanism explained In the section on "corruption in the judiciary", the book explains that judges must follow a code of conduct. This code guides not only their behaviour in court but also how they act outside court. It mentions that the judiciary has an internal system to ensure accountability and an "established procedure for receiving complaints through the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS)". The book adds that more than 1,600 complaints were received between 2017 and 2021, the IE report noted. "In cases where the allegations are serious, the Parliament can take action and remove a judge by passing a motion of impeachment. Such a motion is considered only after a proper inquiry, during which the judge is given a fair opportunity to present their side of the case," it states. Former CJI BR Gavai on transparency and public trust The book also quotes former Chief Justice of India BR Gavai as saying in July 2025: "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." After a section titled "Why is an independent judiciary needed for justice?". The book asks students to discuss two examples - electoral bonds and the Information Technology Act. It explains that in 2018, the government introduced electoral bonds to help political parties raise funds. These bonds allowed individuals and companies to donate money anonymously. "Issued by banks, they could be redeemed only by registered political parties that met certain criteria. However, the Supreme Court struck this provision down as being unconstitutional, stating that voters have a right to know who is funding political parties," it states. The book also talks about the 'Information Technology Act, 2009'. It says that a few years after the law was passed, the government added a clause that allowed people to be jailed for posts made online or on social media. In 2015, a law student challenged this clause in court, arguing that it violated freedom of speech. The Supreme Court agreed, declared the clause unconstitutional, and asked the government to remove it from the Act, the report added. Students asked to reflect on key SC decisions The section then asks students to think about what the Supreme Court did in these two cases and why. NCERT has been preparing new textbooks for all classes under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for School Education. So far, new books for Classes 1 to 8 have been released. The first part of the Class 8 Social Science textbook was released in July last year. The old textbooks were based on the NCF of 2005. After the Covid pandemic, they were "rationalised" and the syllabus was reduced to lessen the content load.