The Supreme Court has directed the Centre and all State governments along with all institutions receiving public funds, either partially or fully, to dissociate the chairperson of NCERT social science curriculum, Professor Michel Denino and his two other associate members who were behind the Sub-chapter in part 2 of the Class 8 NCERT Social Science textbook 'Corruption in the Judiciary', in any manner for the purpose of preparation of curriculum or finalisation of text book for the next generation.
A bench led by the Chief Justice Surya Kant also directed all of the above mentioned authorities to disassociate Professor Denino, along with his team, from the preparation and inclusion of the Chapter, from rendering any service in any institution, which would mean payment to them from public funds.
The apex court, while hearing a suo motu case concerning NCERT's Class 8 social science book, which contained "offending" contents on corruption in the judiciary, noted that the chapter was drafted by the textbook development team under the chairmanship of Professor Michel Danino.
“At the outset we have no reason to doubt that professor Michel Danino along with Ms Diwakar and Mr Alok Prasanna Kumar either does not reasonable knowledge about Indian judiciary or they deliberately knowingly misrepresented the facts in order to project a negative image of Indian judiciary before students of Class 8 who are at an impressionable age. There is no reason as to why such persons be associated in any manner with preparation of curriculum or finalisation of text book for the next generation. We direct union, all states, all institutions recieving state funds, to disassociate them from rendering any service which would mean payment to them from public funds”, the Court noted.
During the hearing, the Centre informed the bench that it has directed the NCERT to review textbooks of all classes. The bench observed that instead of asking the NCERT to do so, it would have appreciated if the Centre constituted an expert committee to review the curriculum.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the government has asked the NCERT to review textbooks of all classes, not just class eight. He assured the bench that a panel of domain experts would be constituted to examine the curriculum. "We have started systemic changes," he told the bench, adding that nothing will be published without being vetted by the domain experts.
Mehta also informed the bench that the NCERT director has filed an affidavit tendering an unconditional and unqualified apology
(With ANI inputs)
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