Textbook Controversy: Supreme Court Orders Removal of Three Experts from Syllabus Revision Committee

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has made a significant intervention in the case related to controversial references in the NCERT Class 8 textbook. The Court directed the Central Government and NCERT to remove three experts from the committee responsible for curriculum revision.

The decision came after the Court considered serious complaints regarding the content of the textbooks. A petition had alleged that certain sections in the Class 8 history textbook contained incorrect information and portrayed a particular community negatively.

The Court emphasised that transparency and impartiality must be ensured in the preparation of textbooks. It ordered the removal of experts who were accused of being involved in drafting the controversial sections.

The bench observed that attempts to politicise the education sector cannot be allowed. It also stated that every line in textbooks must reflect scientific and historically accurate facts. The bench, headed by Justice L. Nageswara Rao, instructed that greater caution should be exercised while revising textbooks to include new changes.

The verdict has triggered major political discussions, especially as the Central Government is currently working on curriculum reforms as part of the National Education Policy. NCERT is expected to soon take action to remove the controversial portions from the textbooks and appoint qualified new members to the expert committee.