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A standing committee at IIT-Gandhinagar is set to review the role of Michel Danino as a guest professor after directions issued by the Supreme Court in connection with the controversy surrounding a chapter in a withdrawn NCERT textbook. Officials familiar with the matter confirmed that the institute will evaluate Danino’s association with the institution in light of the court’s order. 

The development comes after the Supreme Court instructed the Centre as well as state governments and public institutions to distance themselves from three experts linked to the drafting of a contentious chapter in an NCERT Class 8 social science textbook. The chapter, which discussed corruption in the judiciary, was later withdrawn following objections. 

According to a senior official aware of the situation, the institute will consider the matter through its internal mechanism. "A standing committee will look into Danino's appointment in view of the Supreme Court's directions, and a decision will be taken after that," the official told PTI. 

Supreme Court’s Direction in the Textbook Dispute 

The controversy centres on a chapter included in the Class 8 social science book prepared under the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). The Supreme Court took note of what it described as “offending” content related to corruption in the judiciary and directed authorities to act against those responsible for drafting it. 

Apart from Michel Danino, two other members involved in the drafting process Suparna Diwakar and Alok Prasanna Kumar have also come under scrutiny. Attempts to reach Danino, Diwakar, and Kumar for comments reportedly did not receive any response. 

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant made strong observations while addressing the issue. The bench said, "At the outset, we have no reason to doubt that professor Michel Danion and his associates Suparna Diwakar and Alok Prasanna Kumar either do not have reasonable informed knowledge with respect to Indian judiciary or they deliberately and knowingly misrepresented the facts in order to project a negative image of Indian judiciary before the students of Class 8." 

The court further noted that it sees no justification for the experts to remain involved in the preparation of school curriculum or textbooks meant for future generations. 

Background of Danino and Other Experts 

Michel Danino has been associated with IIT-Gandhinagar since 2011, when he joined the institute as a guest professor. A French-born Indian citizen, Danino received the Padma Shri in 2017 for his contributions to literature and education. 

He also served as a member of the Centre’s committee tasked with preparing a new curriculum framework in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. 

Meanwhile, Alok Prasanna Kumar is known as the co-founder of the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, while Suparna Diwakar is an educator who currently serves on the board of the School of Inspired Leadership. 

The review by IIT-Gandhinagar is expected to determine whether Danino’s association with the institute will continue in view of the Supreme Court’s directive.