The government asks I&B and MeitY to stop online distribution of NCERT textbook

The Union Education Ministry on Thursday wrote a letter to the ministries of Information, Broadcasting and Electronics, asking them to stop the distribution of a controversial NCERT textbook through digital platforms and electronic media, officials said.

The directive comes after the Supreme Court on Thursday imposed a “complete blanket ban” on any further publication, reprint or digital distribution of the NCERT Class 8 social science book as it contained “objectionable” content on corruption in the judiciary, saying “a gunshot has been fired and the institution is bleeding”.

“While removal of physical textbooks and discontinuation of their reprinting is being done by the NCERT and allied agencies, their dissemination through digital platforms and electronic media should be stopped by the appropriate authorities – the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting,” the letter said.

Earlier in the day, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed concerns over the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) introducing a chapter on judicial corruption in its Class 8 textbook, promising to resolve the liability and take action against those involved in drafting the controversial section.

Pradhan’s comments came on a day when the Supreme Court observed that there appeared to be a “well-orchestrated conspiracy” to defame the judiciary.

It imposed a “complete blanket ban” on the Class 8 NCERT book and ordered that all copies of it, physical and digital, be seized.

The NCERT social science textbook for Class 8 stated that corruption, huge backlog of cases and lack of adequate number of judges were among the challenges faced by the legal system.

Following stern words from the Supreme Court that it will not allow “anyone on earth” to compromise the integrity of the judiciary, the NCERT has pulled the textbook from its website, with sources saying the government was furious over the controversial references in the book.

The NCERT on Wednesday also apologized for the “inappropriate content” after facing the wrath of the Supreme Court over the chapter, and said the book will be rewritten in consultation with the relevant authorities.

– Ends

Tune in