NCERT Ban Row: Academics Write to President Murmu

A group of 51 prominent scholars, including experts from JNU, IITs, and IIMs, have petitioned President Droupadi Murmu to intervene against the Supreme Court's "blanket ban" on the Class 8 NCERT social science textbook, Exploring Society: India and Beyond.

The letter characterizes the Court’s February 26 suo motu ban as "judicial overreach," arguing that under Indian law, books should be restricted only through legislative or executive action, not direct judicial directives that bypass educational experts.

The academics condemned the "harsh punishment" of three contributors—Prof. Michel Danino, Suparna Diwakar, and Alok Prasanna Kumar—who were ordered to be disassociated from all publicly funded institutions without a hearing, calling it a violation of natural justice.

The ban stems from a chapter titled "The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society," which referenced judicial pendency and corruption. The Chief Justice described the text as a "well-orchestrated conspiracy" to malign the judiciary, while NCERT subsequently issued an unconditional apology.

Signatories argue the ban creates an "atmosphere of intimidation" that discourages critical thinking, and suggest the Ministry of Education request the Court to waive punitive actions and allow the textbook’s release with only specific "offending" sections removed.

51 Academics Urge President Over NCERT Ban, Flag Academic Freedom Concerns

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