NationalTuesday, 15 September 2026·The Hindu - National
CJI Surya Kant on scrutiny, transparency and public trust in the judiciary
On September 14, 2026, CJI Surya Kant said courts cannot earn trust by avoiding scrutiny and must remain open to criticism.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On September 14, 2026, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant delivered the 6th Ram Jethmalani Memorial Lecture and said the judiciary cannot earn public trust by shielding itself from scrutiny, citing the NCERT Class 8 textbook row as an example.
Key specifics
- The lecture was the 6th Ram Jethmalani Memorial Lecture.
- The CJI referred to the NCERT Class 8 textbook row and the court’s earlier suo motu proceedings.
- The Supreme Court had initially ordered the textbook to be withdrawn en masse.
- The court later closed the suo motu case in September 2026 after the chapter was replaced with an updated curriculum.
- Surya Kant stressed that transparency means the reasoning behind a decision, not only the result, can be examined.
Exam lens
Question type: Judiciary and constitutional values, transparency, public trust, suo motu proceedings. TNPSC one-liner: Which CJI linked public trust in courts to scrutiny and reasoning, not just verdicts? Answer: Surya Kant.