The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released a revised Class 9 Social Science textbook that introduces a chapter on the Emergency while omitting the text of the Preamble and references to the terms "secular" and "secularism" that appeared in the previous edition.
The new textbook, Understanding Society: India and Beyond – Part 1, has been developed under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023. It will be introduced for students from the 2026–27 academic session.
Unlike the previous Class 9 Political Science textbook, the revised volume discusses the Constitution through topics such as its framing, democratic institutions and fundamental rights but does not reproduce the Preamble or explain the terms contained in it. A review of the textbook also shows that the words "secular" and "secularism" are not included in the current volume.
The revised textbook introduces a dedicated discussion on the Emergency imposed between 1975 and 1977 under then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. It describes the period as one during which democratic institutions came under severe strain and civil liberties were restricted. While the Emergency had previously been covered in the Class 12 Political Science curriculum, this marks its first inclusion in the revised Class 9 syllabus.
The 220-page integrated textbook replaces the separate history, geography, political science and economics books that were used until the 2025–26 academic session. It combines content from all four subjects into a single volume, with two chapters from each discipline.
The curriculum changes have sparked political debate. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said future generations should learn about what he described as the "dark deeds of the Emergency." The Congress, meanwhile, criticised the revisions, alleging that the changes reflect divisive politics and undermine constitutional values.
NCERT has stated that the revisions are part of the implementation of the NEP 2020 and the NCF-SE 2023 framework. The revised textbooks are being rolled out in phases across different classes as part of the new curriculum structure.
Sources: Hindustan Times
