Mumbai, Feb 26 (NationPress) Advocate Vikas Singh, who serves as the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of India, publicly condemned the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) for its decision to include a chapter on judicial corruption in its curriculum, labeling the move as 'unfortunate.' Singh argued that if the goal was to inform students about corruption, it would be more appropriate to discuss various institutions.

In an interview with IANS, Singh stated, “This is regrettable. To truly focus on character development in youth, we should prioritize fostering national character. Corruption is pervasive in our society, and we must address it seriously. Crafting a selective chapter solely about the judiciary indicates an attempt to undermine this institution. The purpose seems to be to place the judiciary on the defensive.”

He further emphasized that undermining the judiciary could jeopardize democracy and erode public trust.

“This situation is detrimental to both our nation and its democratic values. A weakened judiciary will lead to a decline in public confidence, which in turn could adversely affect our economy,” he asserted.

Quoting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Singh remarked, “If we genuinely wanted to address corruption, the textbook could have highlighted Dr. Ambedkar’s perspective on choosing capable representatives for Parliament. He refrained from setting strict qualifications for elected officials because he believed in the wisdom of the electorate. Yet today, reports suggest that 30 to 40 percent of elected officials have criminal histories. Is Dr. Ambedkar’s vision being realized?”

He raised concerns about whether these developments were consistent with the principles of freedom and suggested that a more comprehensive discussion could have been included in the educational material.

“To promote a national dialogue, broader issues should be incorporated into the curriculum. The focus should be on the welfare of the populace, rather than singling out any one institution,” he insisted.

Singh clarified that while he does not deny corruption exists within the judiciary, it is less prevalent when compared to other sectors. He pointed to the high rate of case resolutions despite facing obstacles like a poor judge-to-population ratio and limited infrastructure in lower courts.

“Many lower courts lack adequate facilities and even basic resources. To ensure the judiciary operates effectively, these matters need attention. Given the measures taken to uphold accountability, including retirements and suspensions, the judiciary performs commendably by national standards. Thus, this situation is indeed unfortunate,” he conveyed to IANS.

In a related development, the Supreme Court expressed serious concern regarding the NCERT’s references to “corruption in the judiciary” in a Class 8 Social Science textbook. The court noted that the controversy seemed to stem from a “deliberate action” that has left the judiciary in a vulnerable position.

A Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, while addressing a suo motu case titled “In Re: Social Science Textbook for Grade–8 (Part-2) published by NCERT and related matters,” issued a series of immediate interim orders, including a nationwide seizure of the textbook, removal of digital copies, and a complete prohibition on its distribution or publication.