Priyanka Chaturvedi calls Supreme Court order on NCERT textbook ‘judicial overreach’

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Friday (March 13, 2026) termed the Supreme Court’s newest instructions over a Class 8 textbook chapter referring to “corruption in judiciary” as “judicial overreach”. She urged the federal government to make sure that all three branches of governance — the legislature, govt, and judiciary — stay equal beneath the legislation and open to scrutiny.

Last month, the Supreme Court imposed a blanket ban on the Class 8 Social Science textbook introduced out by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) that carried the controversial chapter. On Wednesday (March 11), the courtroom expressed dissatisfaction with what it described as a “laconic” affidavit submitted by the NCERT. It then directed the schooling physique to “disassociate” from the three-member Textbook Development Team that drafted the chapter and barred the members from holding any future position funded absolutely or partially by public cash.

Speaking within the Rajya Sabha, Ms. Chaturvedi stated the judiciary’s preliminary determination to ban the chapter was comprehensible if it felt unfairly focused. “Up to that point, we felt it was fine,” she stated. “But the matter did not end there. Those involved kept pushing it further, saying that if anyone criticises on social media, the Supreme Court will take action.”

Editorial | Selective outrage: on Supreme Court and NCERT textbook

She famous that the NCERT had already apologised, but the punitive instructions continued. Raising the instance of alleged corruption involving Justice Yashwant Varma, she stated corruption allegations throughout public establishments, from politicians to the police and paperwork, had been routinely investigated, and the judiciary shouldn’t be an exception. ““… but the judiciary becomes so sensitive when there is talk of corruption…whereas here an impeachment motion was brought against a sitting High Court judge.”

Last March, burnt money was found in an outhouse linked to Justice Varma, then a Delhi High Court decide, prompting an inquiry ordered by the then Chief Justice of India. The decide was later transferred to the Allahabad High Court. A discover searching for his elimination moved by the Opposition stays pending within the Rajya Sabha.