Mumbai, July 8: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released a revised edition of the Class 8 Social Science textbook titled “Exploring Society: India and Beyond.” This updated book integrates subjects such as history, geography, political science, and economics.
Originally published on February 23, 2026, the book was withdrawn due to controversial content related to the judiciary. The new edition features a complete rewrite of the chapter concerning the judiciary, which had previously included discussions on challenges faced by the judiciary, pending cases, and corruption.
Following a directive from the Supreme Court, NCERT acknowledged the inclusion of erroneous content and subsequently halted the distribution of both print and digital editions. The revised book has now been published in compliance with the court’s orders.
The chapter titled “Role of the Judiciary in Society” has been significantly altered. The previous references to issues like judicial challenges and corruption have been removed. Instead, the new content elaborates on the Supreme Court’s role in upholding the Constitution, ensuring public access to justice, and explaining Public Interest Litigation (PIL), tribunals, and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
For the first time, the new book provides a detailed explanation of PIL, highlighting that under Articles 32 and 226 of the Constitution, the public can approach the courts for their interests. Examples such as the Hussainara Khatoon case, which facilitated the release of undertrial prisoners, and the MC Mehta environmental case, along with the Vishaka judgment that established guidelines against sexual harassment in the workplace, are included for better understanding.
Additionally, the revised edition has removed the names of three experts—Michelle Denino, Suparna Diwakar, and Alok Prasanna Kumar—from the original team of 51 experts who contributed to the previous version. The Supreme Court later clarified that textbook preparation is a collective process and no single individual can be held accountable.
In response to the controversy, the Ministry of Education has formed a monitoring committee chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Indu Malhotra, which includes former Attorney General K.K. Venugopal and Prakash Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University. The NCERT has also restructured its committee responsible for developing course content and revised the processes for book approval, publication, and distribution.
Under the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) and NEP-2020, NCERT is preparing new textbooks for all classes, updating topics in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. New books for classes 1 to 8 are expected to be published by 2025.