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In the ongoing NCERT Class 8 textbook controversy, Communist Party of India (CPI) Rajya Sabha MP P. Sandosh Kumar on Friday said that while the contentious textbook section drew sharp criticism and was eventually banned by the Supreme Court, the focus should not be limited to just one book.
Kumar further questioned "reckless or objectionable contents", underscoring the need for a wider look at other educational materials. Speaking to ANI, he said, "The NCERT textbooks created a lot of controversy, and finally, the Supreme Court had to ban them. But at the same time, you should understand one thing. Many other textbooks contain reckless or objectionable content. So what about those contents? This is true. This was quite defamatory..." The controversy erupted after the top court took exception to the inclusion of the sub-chapter in the Class 8 Social Science textbook, observing that such content may have serious implications. On Thursday, the Supreme Court of India has issued show cause notices to the Secretary of the Department of Education and Literacy (Ministry of Education) and NCERT Director Dinesh Prashad Saklani, asking them to explain why action should not be taken under contempt or other laws for including a sub-chapter titled "Corruption in the judiciary" in the Class 8 NCERT Social Science textbook. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul M Pancholi refused to halt suo motu proceedings despite NCERT's apology over the controversial inclusion and imposed a blanket ban on the textbook section. The court warned that any attempt to bypass the order would be considered direct interference with the administration of justice and could attract contempt of court. The Supreme Court has also directed NCERT to submit detailed records of the Teaching-Learning Materials Committee that approved the chapter, including the names, qualifications, and credentials of all members of the development team. (ANI)
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