The Supreme Court of India on Thursday directed the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to disclose the specific names and credentials of all individuals involved in drafting and approving a controversial Class 8 Social Science textbook chapter that refers to “corruption in the judiciary”.

The court ordered the NCERT Director to submit a detailed list of members of the National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee that approved the chapter, as well as the names and qualifications of the Textbook Development Team responsible for writing Chapter 4.

It also asked for the minutes of meetings in which the chapter was discussed and finalised, directing that original records be produced at the next hearing.

The issue has escalated politically as well, with Narendra Modi reportedly calling for accountability.

Quoting the Prime Minister, a source said, “Who is looking after all this?”

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed regret over the episode, stating that there was no intention to disrespect the judiciary. He said the government holds the courts in the highest regard and would fully comply with the Supreme Court’s directions.

Objecting strongly to the references made in the textbook, the Supreme Court issued a show-cause notice to the Secretary of School Education in the Ministry of Education and the NCERT Director, asking why action should not be taken against them under the Contempt of Court Act or other laws.

The bench questioned Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for NCERT, stating that a deeper probe was required to fix responsibility. “We won’t close the case,” the court observed.

In a significant order, a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant banned the textbook both in India and abroad, directed seizure of all copies, and prohibited sharing of the book online in full or in part. Notices were also issued to the Centre and NCERT Chairman Dinesh Prasad Saklani.

NCERT later described the episode as an “error of judgment” and issued an apology