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SC Directs NCERT to Form Domain Experts Committee, Disassociate TDT Headed by Michel Danino Over Class 8 Textbook Chapter

Target:UPSC GS-IIMPSCTeachingSSC GAPrelims HighMains HighStatic GK Link
11 Mar 2026
~2 min
Source: Indian Express
Key Data:Class 8 Social ScienceAcademic session 2026-2027
Bodies:Supreme Court of IndiaNCERTDepartment of School Education and Literacy
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What This Article Covers

1.The Supreme Court directed the Centre, States, UTs, and public institutions to dissociate from NCERT's textbook development team (TDT) responsible for a chapter on 'Corruption in the Judiciary' in the Class 8 Social Science textbook.

2.The Court ordered the formation of a committee of domain experts, potentially including a former senior judge, to review the rewritten chapter before its publication for the 2026-27 academic session.

3.The bench clarified its order was not to prevent legitimate criticism but to ensure factual accuracy, especially for impressionable students, and also directed action against irresponsible social media commentary.

The Big Picture
Prelims · HighMains · High

The Supreme Court intervened in a dispute over NCERT's Class 8 textbook content, directing the government and all public institutions to disassociate from the textbook development team. It mandated the formation of a domain experts committee to review controversial content, highlighting judicial oversight over educational curriculum.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

Textbook ClassClass 8 Social Science
TDT HeadProf. Michel Danino
Academic Session2026-2027
SC BenchCJI Surya Kant, JJ Joymalya Bagchi & Vipul M. Pancholi
Affidavit Filed bySanjay Kumar (Secy., School Ed.) & Dinesh Prasad Saklani (NCERT Dir.)

1-Minute Revision

  • ›Textbook Class: Class 8 Social Science
  • ›TDT Head: Prof. Michel Danino
  • ›Target this Data: Class 8 Social Science textbook for academic session 2026-2027.
  • ›Target this Nodal Body: National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and its Textbook Development Team (TDT).
  • ›Target this Legal Point: Supreme Court's suo motu cognizance and its power to direct government bodies under Article 142.

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Q1Static LinkageEasy

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is an autonomous organization under which Union Ministry?

Q2Statement-basedHard

Consider the following statements regarding the recent Supreme Court order on NCERT textbooks:

1. The Court directed dissociation from the textbook development team headed by Prof. Michel Danino.

2. The Court ordered that the revised chapter must be published for the 2025-2026 academic session.

3. The Court suggested the domain experts committee may include a former senior judge.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMedium

For which academic session did the NCERT affidavit state the revised textbook chapter would be incorporated?

Q4Application/ImpactMedium

What was the primary reason cited by the Supreme Court for directing dissociation from the NCERT textbook development team?

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