Months after the Supreme Court ordered its withdrawal, NCERT has released a revised Class 8 Social Science textbook with changes to chapters on the judiciary, Partition, VD Savarkar and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
Months after the Supreme Court ordered the withdrawal of the National Council of Educational Research and Training's (NCERT) Class 8 Social Science textbook over objectionable content relating to the judiciary, the council has released a revised edition carrying extensive changes across multiple chapters.
Apart from rewriting the chapter on the judiciary, the latest version also modifies references to the Partition of India, expands the mention of Vinayak Damodar (VD) Savarkar's call for Swaraj, removes references to Adolf Hitler and Nazi ideology in the context of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, and updates the list of contributors involved in preparing the textbook.
The revised book, titled 'Exploring Society: India and Beyond', has been published after a court-mandated review process.
Changes in chapter on Partition
One of the significant revisions appears in the history chapter, 'India's Long Road to Independence'.
The earlier version had stated that the British "decided to divide India" after taking advantage of disagreements between Hindu and Muslim leaders, adding that although Mahatma Gandhi and most Congress leaders opposed Partition, they "ended up accepting it as the only way forward."
The revised edition alters this description. It now says Partition was "widely opposed even by the Indian National Congress" and adds that whether accepting Partition was "the only way forward" remains "a matter of debate."
Another sentence has also been removed. The earlier textbook had said that "the Congress leaders were helpless as communal massacres engulfed the subcontinent during Partition." That line no longer appears in the revised edition.
Savarkar's demand for Swaraj added
The revised textbook expands its discussion on the demand for complete independence.
According to the updated text, "a similar demand for Swaraj was expressed by VD Savarkar in 1925."
This reference was absent in the earlier edition.
References to Hitler and Nazi ideology removed
The section dealing with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose has also been revised.
The withdrawn edition had stated that Bose sought Adolf Hitler's support to raise an army and described Hitler as a "dictator whose racist Nazi ideology and expansionist goals" had led to the Second World War.
The revised textbook instead says Bose "sought support from the anti-British forces," omitting references to Hitler as well as Nazi ideology.
Judiciary chapter rewritten
The most extensive revisions have been made to Chapter 4, 'The Role of the Judiciary in Society', following directions issued by the Supreme Court.
According to NCERT, the chapter has been "rewritten" by an expert committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Education pursuant to the apex court's order dated March 16 in Suo Motu Writ Petition (Civil) No. 1/2026.
The acknowledgements state that the revised edition has been published after a review process undertaken "in compliance with the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India."
Among the first visible changes is the opening "Big Questions" section. Instead of asking students why an independent judiciary is necessary, the revised chapter now asks why justice is important for a "just and harmonious society."
Sections removed from the judiciary chapter
Several portions from the earlier edition have been deleted entirely.
The revised chapter no longer contains the section titled 'Challenges Faced by the Judicial System', which had discussed the "massive backlog" of pending cases and linked it to inadequate infrastructure, cumbersome procedures and a shortage of judges.
Another deleted section is 'Corruption in the judiciary'. That portion had referred to remarks by former Chief Justice of India BR Gavai acknowledging instances of "corruption and misconduct" within the judicial system.
Also omitted is the discussion explaining how judicial independence safeguards fundamental rights and how constitutional provisions protect judges from interference by the executive and legislature.
The revised edition has additionally removed classroom discussions based on two landmark judgments — Shreya Singhal vs Union of India, which struck down Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, and Association for Democratic Reforms vs Union of India, which invalidated the electoral bonds scheme.
New material added
The deleted portions have been replaced with expanded content explaining Public Interest Litigation (PIL), tribunals and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
The revised textbook describes PIL as "an innovation introduced by the Supreme Court" to address issues affecting the wider public.
It also cites the Hussainara Khatoon case concerning undertrial prisoners, MC Mehta's environmental litigation, and the Vishaka judgment on workplace sexual harassment as examples of how PIL has been used.
The discussion specifically refers to Articles 32 and 226 of the Constitution while explaining the concept.
Background to the controversy
The controversy began after NCERT released Part 2 of the Class 8 Social Science textbook on February 23, 2026, following the publication of Part 1 in July 2025.
The inclusion of a section on "Corruption in the judiciary" prompted criticism, leading the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the issue on February 25.
NCERT apologised the same day for the "inappropriate content" and assured the court that the chapter would be revised.
A day later, the Supreme Court imposed a "complete blanket ban" on any further publication, reprinting, or digital dissemination of the textbook, observing that it contained "offending" material relating to the judiciary.
The matter is next scheduled to be heard on July 14.
Changes to contributors and review process
The revised edition also reflects changes in the development team.
The earlier textbook listed 51 contributors. The new version credits 48 members after the names of Michel Danino, Suparna Diwakar, and Alok Prasanna Kumar were removed.
On March 11, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre, states, Union Territories and educational institutions to discontinue engagement with the three experts. However, on May 22, the court modified that direction after accepting their explanation that the textbook had been prepared collectively and that there had been no intention to malign the judiciary.
Following the controversy, the Union Ministry of Education constituted an oversight committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Indu Malhotra. Former attorney general KK Venugopal and Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University Vice-Chancellor Prakash Singh are members of the panel. The head of the National Judicial Academy was also associated with revising the judiciary-related school curriculum.
Separately, NCERT reconstituted its National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee, authorising it to approve, publish and distribute textbooks for Classes 3 to 12.
The textbook revision is part of NCERT's broader curriculum overhaul under the National Education Policy, 2020, and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education, 2023, which has so far produced new textbooks for Classes 1 to 9.
The revised Class 8 edition also carries a redesigned cover prominently featuring the Supreme Court. In the foreword, NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani said the textbook "integrates the values we desire our students to develop, is rooted in the Indian cultural context and introduces global perspectives in an age-appropriate manner."