Corruption, case backlog, judge shortage: NCERT book outlines judiciary’s key challenges

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NEW DELHI: A newly introduced NCERT social science textbook for class 8 has outlined key challenges facing country’s judicial system, including corruption, a heavy backlog of cases and an inadequate number of judges.According to news agency PTI, the revised chapter, ‘The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society’, expands beyond explaining the structure of courts and access to justice to discuss systemic issues that affect the functioning of the judiciary. Earlier editions of the textbook primarily focused on the organisation and role of courts.One section of the new book addresses corruption within the judicial system and its impact on access to justice, particularly for economically weaker sections.“People do experience corruption at various levels of the judiciary. For the poor and the disadvantaged, this can worsen the issue of access to justice. Hence, efforts are constantly being made at the State and Union levels to build faith and increase transparency in the judicial system, including through the use of technology, and to take swift and decisive action against instances of corruption wherever they may arise,” the chapter states.The textbook also presents data on the scale of pending cases across courts. It estimates that about 81,000 cases are pending in the Supreme Court, around 62.40 lakh in high courts, and approximately 4.70 crore in district and subordinate courts.In addition to highlighting challenges, the book describes existing accountability mechanisms within the judiciary. It refers to the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) as a formal channel through which complaints can be submitted.According to the textbook, more than 1,600 complaints were filed through CPGRAMS between 2017 and 2021.The chapter also cites former Chief Justice of India B R Gavai, who in July 2025 spoke about the impact of misconduct and corruption on public trust in the judicial system.“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,” he is quoted as saying.