While the retracted text said Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose sought Hitler’s support to raise an army and described the German leader as a “dictator whose racist Nazi ideology and expansionist aims had caused the Second World War”.
Instead, the revised edition says Bose “solicited support from anti-British forces”, removing references to Hitler and Nazi ideology.
The new textbook has also listed “economic background” as a basis for designation alongside caste, religion, race, gender, disability and other traditional markers of identity.
In the chapter entitled “Citizenship: Rights and Duties”, the textbook states that “discrimination is the mistreatment of any person or group because of caste, religion, ethnicity, disability, race, physical appearance, gender, sexuality or economic background. This is not only unethical, but also prohibited by law.”
“Children from economically disadvantaged families may face prejudice and unequal treatment, in addition to discrimination based on appearance, gender, sexuality or other personal characteristics,” the statement said.
The revision comes after the definition of discrimination became the subject of intense public debate following the Centre’s UGC (Promotion of Equality in Institutions of Higher Education) Regulations, 2026.
Regulations notified by the UGC define discrimination as unfair or biased treatment on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex, country of birth or disability.
However, they do not explicitly include economic background or economic disadvantage as a protected category.
After the controversy over the justice section in February, the Supreme Court intervened and the physical and digital copies of the textbook were withdrawn and the KKRT apologized.
The top court imposed a “complete ban” on any further publication, reprint or digital distribution of the textbook in question, saying it contained “offensive” content about corruption in the judiciary.
The revised text in its admissions states that it was published based on the review process undertaken “in accordance with the instructions of the Supreme Court” in the suo motu (civil) request no.1/2026.
It adds that Chapter 4, “Role of Judiciary in Society”, was “rewritten” by an expert committee set up by the Union Education Ministry, following the directions of the Supreme Court through an order dated March 16.
The withdrawn textbook listed 51 members as part of its development team.
The revised edition lists 48, with the names of three people — Michel Danino, Suparna Diwakar and Alok Prasanna Kumar — who were initially held responsible for the chapter, removed.
(With data from PTI)
