The Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR) on Saturday expressed concern over the Supreme Court’s recent order in a suo motu proceeding relating to a chapter on the judiciary in a Class VIII social science textbook of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

The court last month, through a series of orders, directed a blanket ban on the textbook, sought to penalise and dissociate three members of the Textbook Development Team from future academic work, and warned against “mischief mongers” on social media amplifying the material.

The CJAR, in a statement, said the order was passed “without adherence to natural justice”. It said the affected authors Prof. Michel Danino, Suparna Diwakar and Alok Prasanna Kumar were not given notice or an opportunity to present their case.

The group said the chapter honoured the judiciary, explained its structure, cited landmark cases and devoted limited space to challenges and corruption, which it described as “balanced”.

It alleged judicial overreach, saying the court assumed “a pedagogical role” and curtailed academic freedom. The statement said the judiciary had not been singled out, noting similar discussions on other branches in textbooks without controversy. CJAR urged revocation of the ban and restoration of open discussion on institutional challenges.

It also disclosed that Kumar, one of the authors, is a CJAR member. He did not participate in the proceedings nor in the preparation of the statement.