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Many schools faced a shortage of the NCERT Class 8 Social Science Textbook at the start of the new academic session. The book is expected to be available by the third week of June.
The NCERT faced a lot of flak for the controversial section on ‘corruption in judiciary’ in the new Class 8 social science textbook. (Image: News18)
The NCERT Class 8 Social Science textbook, which had been withdrawn following a Supreme Court order, is once again available to students. According to reports, the revised edition of “Exploring Society: India and Beyond” is expected to be released by the third week of June. The new textbook incorporates several necessary changes and has already received approval.
Why was this book removed?
In February 2026, the Supreme Court strongly objected to the book. The court noted that Chapter 4 contained sections related to the judiciary, including references to corruption and case backlogs. It held that this content harmed the image of the judiciary and ordered the immediate withdrawal of all physical and digital copies of the book.
What changed in the new edition?
Following the Supreme Court’s observations, NCERT issued an unconditional apology and admitted that the controversial content had been included by mistake. An expert committee was then constituted to review the entire book. On the committee’s recommendation, all references to corruption in the judiciary were removed. The revised edition has been approved and is now ready for printing.
During the controversy, on March 11th, the Supreme Court directed that three experts associated with the book be excluded from any curriculum and textbook work funded by the government. However, in May, the court withdrew this order and expunged its remarks against them, paving the way for the revised edition of the book.
Many schools faced a shortage of this textbook at the start of the new academic session. Initially, around 2.25 lakh copies had been printed, but due to the Supreme Court’s order, only 38 copies were sold. Now, the revised book is expected to be available in schools and in the market by the third week of June.
Action will be taken if banned copies are found
After the book was banned, the state government instructed Basic Education Officers (BSAs) and District School Inspectors (DIOS) to inspect schools and bookstores. Officials stated that if copies of the banned edition were found anywhere, they would be seized immediately, and legal action, including filing an FIR, would be taken against the institution or shop concerned.
Why is it important for students and schools?
The revised textbook will bring relief to schools and students where teaching of this subject had been disrupted. Students will now be able to continue their studies using an updated and officially approved textbook.
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