The National Council of Educational Research and Training, NCERT has rewritten the controversial chapter on judiciary in Class 8 Social Science textbook after Supreme Court directed it to withdraw its earlier edition over a section on "corruption in the judiciary", as reported by news agency PTI. The revised edition placed Supreme Court at the top of the composition, while the parliament has been moved to the bottom.
What was the controversy all about?
The NCERT's Social Science textbook for class 8 states that corruption, a massive backlog of cases and the lack of an adequate number of judges are among the challenges faced by the judicial system. The NCERT has also apologised for "inappropriate content" after facing the Supreme Court's ire over the chapter and said the book will be rewritten in consultation with appropriate authorities.
Chapters on SIR, Emergency in Class 9 Social Science text book
For the first time, NCERT book includes a separate chapter on Special Intensive Revision (SIR), explaining that its objective is to update the electoral roll, verify it, and rectify errors. According to the NCERT, this process ensures that no eligible voter is deprived of the right to vote and no ineligible person is included in the electoral roll.
The book also explains that during the Special Summary Revision (SSR), the names of new voters who have turned 18 are added. Meanwhile, the names of individuals who have passed away, changed their addresses, or are listed more than once are removed from the list. Additionally, claims and objections are invited from the public before the final electoral roll is published, ensuring that any errors can be rectified in a timely manner.
The new book also mentions measures such as EVMs, VVPATs, the Model Code of Conduct, and voter awareness campaigns aimed at making the electoral process transparent and trustworthy.
The book also features a section on Emergency in a chapter titled ‘Democracy’ under topic - ‘Challenges to democratic practices in India’. As per the chapter, "one of the major challenges to democracy in India was recorded when an Emergency was imposed in 1975-77. In the early 1970s, public dissatisfaction with the government led by Indira Gandhi was growing."
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