REGULATORY · INDIA
India NCERT orders recall of banned Class 8 Social Science textbook and related online content
Change
On February 27, 2026, NCERT issued an advisory directing individuals and organisations to return the withdrawn/banned Class 8 Social Science textbook to its New Delhi publication division and to delete related online/social media posts, following the Supreme Court’s ban and seizure order a day earlier.
Why it matters
NCERT’s February 27 advisory operationalizes the Supreme Court’s prior-day ban on the Class 8 Social Science textbook by instructing any individual or organisation holding copies to return them to NCERT’s Publication Division in New Delhi. The court order also included seizure of copies, increasing enforcement exposure for continued possession or circulation. NCERT additionally asked for deletion of related social media/online posts, widening the scope from physical inventory to digital dissemination. The action confirms the textbook’s withdrawal and creates immediate constraints for institutions that stocked, distributed, or referenced the material.
Implications
- • Physical copies in circulation are subject to recall/return under a court-linked ban.
- • Distributors/schools face disruption to Class 8 Social Science materials availability.
- • Online sharing of the textbook/material is now explicitly targeted for takedown.
- • Possession/circulation risk increases due to the Supreme Court seizure order context.
Who is affected
- • Schools and school administrators using NCERT Class 8 Social Science materials
- • Textbook distributors, retailers, and resellers holding inventory
- • Teachers/content creators who posted excerpts or related material online
- • Students and parents relying on the withdrawn textbook for coursework
Source
Topics
World & Politics Policy & Regulation Law & Public Safety Court Rulings