On Wednesday, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant notified Bar council that the Supreme Court has initiated "Suo Motu" cognisance of a recently added section in the Class 8 Social Science textbook released by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), which addresses "corruption within the judiciary", emphasising that he will not allow the institution to face disgrace, Hindustan Times reported.
"I will not allow anyone on earth to defame the institution. However high they are, nobody is above the law. Do not worry... I know how to deal with it," the Chief Justice stated publicly after a collective of lawyers implored the judiciary to act.
"I have already passed the order on the administrative side. We are taking the matter suo motu," he added, indicating that the apex court is initiating Suo motu proceedings on its own motion.
According to CJI Surya Kant, the development is "deep-rooted". Furthermore, it seemed to be "a calculated and conscious step".
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NCERT book caught CJI's attention
The chapter highlights issues such as "corruption within various tiers of the judiciary" and a "significant Backlog" of unresolved cases as key hurdles confronting the judicial framework.
It cites estimated numbers of outstanding cases - roughly 81,000 in the Supreme Court, more than 6.2 million in high courts, and close to 47 million in district courts.
The section elaborates that judges must adhere to a code of conduct that regulates their conduct both in and out of court, refers to internal oversight mechanisms, and mentions grievances reported through the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS).
It points out that over 1,600 such grievances were logged between 2017 and 2021.
Furthermore, the textbook clarifies the constitutional procedure for the removal of judges through impeachment by Parliament following an appropriate inquiry and asserts that episodes of corruption and misconduct can adversely impact public trust.
It underscores the importance of transparency and accountability and cites former CJI Bhushan R Gavai regarding the necessity of prompt and resolute measures to maintain trust in the institution.
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