The newly released social science textbook for Class VIII published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has introduced a section on “corruption in the judiciary” and also mentions pending cases in the chapter titled ‘The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society’.The Part II of the NCERT Social Science Textbook for Class VIII was released on February 23 after a huge delay.The section on “corruption in the judiciary” states that judges are bound by a code of conduct that governs not only their behaviour in court but also their conduct outside it.The chapter highlights the judiciary’s internal accountability mechanisms and refers to the established procedure for receiving complaints through the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS). According to the book, more than 1,600 complaints were received through this mechanism between 2017 and 2021.It quotes former Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, who in July 2025, said, “However, the path to rebuilding this trust lies in the swift, decisive and transparent action taken to address and resolve these issues…Transparency and accountability are democratic virtues.”The chapter on judiciary also lists the approximate number of pending cases in the Supreme Court (81,000), high courts (62,40,000), and district and subordinate courts (4,70,00,000).“While the number of pending cases shows a part of the problem, the real issue is the long time that it takes to resolve a case. In the high courts, for example, nearly three-fourths of pending cases have been unresolved for over a year, and half of them have been pending for more than three years. Some cases have remained unresolved for more than 50 years!” states the chapter.Meanwhile, the history section of the newly released book puts the spotlight on freedom fighters such as VD Savarkar, Chapekar brothers and Birsa Munda, among others.The chapter on ‘India’s long road to Independence’ also mentions the ‘Namdhari Movement’, a socio-religious and political movement that arose in Punjab in the 1860s under the leadership of Baba Ram Singh, aimed at moral reform, social equality and resistance to British rule through the boycott of foreign goods and rejection of colonial institutions.“The Kukas also opposed cow slaughter, which was conducted in slaughterhouses sanctioned or established by the colonial government, sometimes deliberately close to gurdwaras. In 1872, tensions peaked after a group of Kukas attacked some of these slaughterhouses. The British response was brutal — 65 Kukas were executed without trial, many by being tied to the mouths of cannons and blown away,” states the chapter.The chapter also mentions the Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands, infamously known as Kala Pani, where the Britishers exiled and brutally punished Indian revolutionaries through solitary confinement and forced labour.“Freedom fighters such as Barindra Ghose and VD Savarkar were imprisoned here, making the jail a lasting symbol of sacrifice in India’s struggle for Independence,” adds the book.The chapter acknowledges that several names of lesser known freedom fighters could not be included, but mentions the names of Alluri Sitarama Raju, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Rani Gaidinliu, and Vasudeo Balwant Phadke, aiming to reflect the vast, diverse and collective nature of India’s freedom movement.