The National Council of Educational Research and Training has reconstituted its curriculum committee following a reprimand from the Supreme Court of India over content in a withdrawn Class 8 Social Science textbook, officials said on Wednesday.

The revised 20-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) includes IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti, Indian Council of Historical Research Chairman Raghuvendra Tanwar, former Vice-Chancellor of the National Law School of India University R Venkata Rao, and Amarendra Prasad Behera, Joint Director-in-Charge at the Central Institute of Educational Technology, NCERT. The earlier panel had 22 members.

Three members — Michel Danino, M D Srinivas and the late Bibek Debroy — have been removed following the court’s directions.

An official said the reconstitution was undertaken to strengthen the committee through necessary updates.

The NSTC is responsible for developing school syllabi and teaching-learning material, including textbooks for Classes 3 to 12. It may also revise textbooks for Classes 1 and 2 to ensure continuity in the transition to higher grades.

In February, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of a section on “Corruption in Judiciary” in the Class 8 Social Science textbook. The court subsequently imposed a blanket ban on the use of the textbook in both physical and online formats.

Inputs from PTI

Also Read: NCERT granted deemed-to-be university status, authorised to award degrees