SC drops all adverse remarks against 3 NCERT book experts

The Supreme Court on Friday dropped all adverse observations made against the three academic experts — Michel Danino, Suparna Diwakar and Alok Prasanna Kumar—involved in preparing the NCERT Class 8 textbook containing objectionable remarks against the judiciary.

- Abraham Thomas

The Supreme Court said the remarks were uncalled for as experts had no bad intent.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant accepted the experts’ explanation that they had no intention to show the judiciary in a bad light and that the textbook’s preparation was a collective effort. The textbook had depicted corruption in the judiciary as a challenge which created a distorted image in the minds of students of impressionable age.

Accepting the explanation, the court recalled that portion of its March 11 order which directed the Centre, states, Union Territories and other universities or institutions to disassociate from these experts. The states and Centre were left to take an independent decision without being influenced by the court's earlier direction.