NCERT Class 8 textbook adds economic background as discrimination ground; judiciary chapter revised

New Delhi: "Economic background" is now listed among grounds for discrimination alongside caste, religion, race, gender, disability and other traditional identity markers, in the new NCERT Class 8 Social Science textbook. Months after it stoked a controversy for allegedly defaming the judiciary, the NCERT has released a revised Class 8 Social Science textbook -- "Exploring Society: India and Beyond" -- dropping the disputed portions.

The controversial portions along with references to judicial backlog and two major court verdicts have been dropped while fresh material on Public Interest Litigation (PIL), tribunals and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms has been added in the revised textbook. However, these are not the only changes in the revised textbook. In the chapter titled "Citizenship: Rights and Duties", the textbook says, "discrimination is mistreating any person or group because of their caste, religion, ethnicity, disability, race, physical appearance, gender, sexuality, or economic background. This is not only unethical, but also legally prohibited".

"Children from economically disadvantaged families can face prejudice and unequal treatment, alongside discrimination based on appearance, gender, sexuality or other personal characteristics," it said. The revision comes after the definition of discrimination became a subject of intense public debate following the Centre's UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026. The UGC notified regulations define discrimination as unfair or biased treatment on the grounds of religion, race, caste, gender, place of birth or disability.

Also read NCERT revises Class 8 social science textbook after SC row; judiciary chapter rewritten

However, they do not explicitly include economic background or economic disadvantage as a protected category. In February, a controversy broke out over the National Council of Educational Research and Training's (NCERT) Class 8 Social Science textbook, which included a section on "Corruption in the judiciary" in a chapter. After the Supreme Court's intervention, the physical and digital copies of the textbook were withdrawn and the NCERT issued an apology.

The top court imposed a "complete blanket ban" on any further publication, reprinting or digital dissemination of the said textbook, saying it contained "offending" content on corruption in the judiciary. The revised textbook states in its acknowledgements that it has been published pursuant to the review process undertaken "in compliance with the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India" in suo motu writ petition (civil) no. 1/2026.