New Delhi: Corruption, case backlog and shortage of judges are among the key challenges faced by India's judicial system, according to a new Class 8 social science textbook published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

The revised chapter, titled “The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society”, discusses issues affecting the justice delivery system in addition to explaining the structure and functions of courts.

The textbook states that while judges are bound by a code of conduct governing their behaviour both inside and outside court, people do experience corruption at various levels of the judiciary, which can particularly affect access to justice for poor and disadvantaged sections.

It notes that efforts are being made at both state and central levels to improve transparency and accountability, including through the use of technology and corrective mechanisms.

According to the book, around 81,000 cases are pending in the Supreme Court, about 62.40 lakh in high courts, and nearly 4.70 crore in district and subordinate courts.

The textbook also refers to grievance redressal mechanisms such as the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), through which over 1,600 complaints were received between 2017 and 2021.

It also quotes former Chief Justice of India B. R. Gavai as saying that corruption and misconduct in the judiciary negatively impact public trust, and emphasises that transparency and accountability are essential to strengthening confidence in the justice system.