3 min readNew DelhiFeb 28, 2026 05:33 AM IST
In the three days since the NCERT stopped the sale of the Class 8 social science book and started the process to retrieve its copies, it has received 31 of the 38 sold prints, sources in the Education Ministry said.
The book – ‘Exploring Society: India and Beyond’ part 2 – that was released on Monday for use in the ongoing academic session, was pulled out of sale on Tuesday. In a chapter on the role of the judiciary, the book featured a section on “Corruption in the judiciary”. The Supreme Court registered a suo motu case in the matter on Wednesday, with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant taking serious exception to the section, and saying that he “will not allow anyone to defame the institution”.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court imposed a “complete blanket ban” on further publication, reprinting, or digital dissemination of the book. In its order, the court said the NCERT Director and the principal of every school where the book has reached will be personally responsible “to effectuate immediate seizure and sealing of all copies of the book in their premises and submit a compliance report”.
After the sale of the book was halted on Tuesday, staff at the NCERT’s publication division and book counter on its campus in Delhi have been attempting to reach out to all the 38 buyers of the book in an effort to get the buyers to return the copies.
An advisory issued by NCERT Secretary Himanshu Gupta on Friday asked those who purchased the book to return it immediately.
It asked “any individual or organisation, who is in possession of the NCERT textbook Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Social Science Grade 8 Part 2, or any material related to it” to return it to the Head, Department of Education in Social Sciences (DESS) or Publication Division, NCERT, “at the earliest possible”.
Citing the court order on the ban, and stating that the NCERT has withdrawn the book, the advisory added: “We also request that any content related to the chapter “Role of Judiciary in Our Society” if posted on any of the social media or digital platform may be deleted at the earliest possible. Also, whosoever has purchased this textbook from anywhere is requested to return it to NCERT immediately”.
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