Unfortunate: SC Bar Association of India Prez slams NCERT over selective judicial graft chapter

Mumbai: Advocate and President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of India, Vikas Singh, on Thursday criticised the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) for including a chapter on judicial corruption in its textbook, calling the move ‘unfortunate.’ He said that if the intention was to educate students about corruption, other institutions could also have been discussed.

Speaking to IANS, Vikas Singh said, “It is unfortunate. If we want to focus on character building among children, then the emphasis should be on creating national character. Corruption has spread widely in our society, and we need to think about it seriously. Creating a selective chapter about the judiciary in this manner clearly shows an attempt to weaken the institution. The intent appears to be to put the judiciary on the defensive.”

He further said that weakening the judiciary would harm democracy and public confidence.

“It is unfortunate for the country and for democracy. If the judiciary is weakened, the faith of common people will fade. This will also impact the economic situation of the country,” he said.

Referring to Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Singh added, “If we really wanted to talk about corruption, the book could have mentioned Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s vision of electing good representatives to Parliament. He did not prescribe strict qualifications for elected members because he believed the people would choose wisely. But today, 30 to 40 per cent of elected representatives reportedly have criminal backgrounds. Do you think Dr Ambedkar’s dream has been fulfilled?”

He questioned whether such developments aligned with the ideals of freedom and suggested that broader issues could have been included in the curriculum.

“If you want to raise a national debate, then include such topics in the book. It should be in the interest of the people, not targeted at any one institution,” he said.

Singh clarified that he was not denying corruption in the judiciary but argued that, compared to other institutions, it remains relatively less prevalent. He highlighted the high case disposal rate despite challenges such as one of the worst judge-to-population ratios and inadequate infrastructure in lower courts.

“In many lower courts, judges lack proper facilities and even basic infrastructure. If you want the judiciary to function properly, these issues must be discussed. Considering the steps taken to maintain accountability, including retirements and suspensions, the judiciary fares well by national standards. Therefore, what has happened is quite unfortunate,” he told IANS.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court came down heavily on the NCERT over references to “corruption in the judiciary” in a Class 8 Social Science textbook, observing that the controversy appeared to be the result of a “calculated move” that has left the judiciary “bleeding”.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, hearing a suo motu case titled “In Re: Social Science Textbook for Grade–8 (Part-2) published by NCERT and ancillary issues”, passed a series of sweeping interim directions, including an immediate nationwide seizure of the textbook, takedown of digital copies and a complete ban on its publication or circulation.

IANS