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An expert committee comprising senior legal figures is set to finalise the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) curriculum on legal studies for middle and senior school levels, following directions from the Supreme Court.

The Hindu reported that the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that former Supreme Court judge Indu Malhotra and senior advocate K.K. Venugopal have agreed to be part of the panel. The committee is also expected to work in coordination with Aniruddha Bose in his role as Director of the National Judicial Academy.

The submission was made before a Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, who welcomed the development, noting that the selected members were well suited to guide the framing of the curriculum.

The move follows the court’s recent intervention over content in a Class 8 Social Science textbook that referred to “corruption in the judiciary”. Taking suo motu cognisance of a media report earlier this month, the court had expressed concern that the material could create a negative perception of the judiciary among students.

In a previous order, the court had imposed a complete ban on the textbook, even after the Centre withdrew tens of thousands of copies from circulation. It observed that the content appeared to risk shaping bias in “impressionable minds”.

The Bench also took exception to claims that the chapter had already been revised, directing that any future version must first be cleared by an expert body. It subsequently ordered the government to constitute a committee comprising legal and academic experts to review and approve curriculum content related to the judiciary.

The court emphasised that while criticism of institutions is not unwelcome, it must be balanced and grounded in objective analysis. It noted that informed scrutiny could help strengthen institutional functioning, provided it is presented responsibly, especially in educational material aimed at young students.

The expert panel will now examine and finalise the curriculum not only for Class 8 but for higher grades as well, with the aim of ensuring accuracy, balance and pedagogical suitability.