Education experts and political observers have highlighted the absence of the Constitution's Preamble and the omission of the terms "secular" and "secularism", both of which featured prominently in earlier NCERT political science textbooks.
NEW DELHI — The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has come under fresh scrutiny following the release of its revised Class 9 social science textbook, which introduces a detailed chapter on the 1975 Emergency while omitting references to the Constitution’s Preamble and the terms “secular” and “secularism” that appeared in earlier editions.
The revisions have sparked a political debate, with the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) trading charges over how India’s constitutional values and political history should be presented in school education.
The revised 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.
Unlike the previous curriculum, which taught history, geography, political science and economics as separate subjects, the new textbook integrates all four disciplines into a single volume.
One of its most significant additions is a dedicated chapter on the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975, marking the first time the subject has been covered in detail at the Class 9 level.
However, the Emergency chapter is not the only change drawing attention.
Education experts and political observers have highlighted the absence of the Constitution’s Preamble and the omission of the terms “secular” and “secularism”, both of which featured prominently in earlier NCERT political science textbooks.
The revised book discusses the Constitution through chapters on the Constituent Assembly, constitution-making, democratic institutions and Fundamental Rights. It describes the Constitution as a “strong, flexible, evolving and responsive” document while emphasising the values of liberty, equality, justice and fraternity.
Unlike the earlier Class 9 political science textbook Democratic Politics-I, however, the new edition does not reproduce the Preamble in full. Earlier editions used the Preamble as the starting point for explaining the Constitution and its guiding principles.
The previous textbook also provided detailed explanations of constitutional terms such as “sovereign”, “socialist”, “secular”, “democratic” and “republic”. Secularism was explained as a principle under which the state has no official religion and treats all religions equally.
A review of the revised textbook shows that the words “secular” and “secularism” do not appear in the volume. Nor is there any indication that these concepts will be covered in later sections.
The changes have prompted questions from educationists and opposition leaders about the treatment of constitutional values in the revised curriculum. Supporters of the new curriculum, however, argue that constitutional principles continue to be addressed through chapters on rights, democratic institutions and governance.
The revised textbook also changes its treatment of the Election Commission of India. While earlier editions highlighted the Commission’s independence and extensive constitutional powers, the new version offers a shorter explanation focusing primarily on its constitutional authority and role in conducting elections.
Critics argue that the reduced discussion may limit students’ understanding of the institution’s significance within India’s democratic framework.
The revisions come amid broader debates over changes to school curricula, with renewed focus on how history, constitutional values and political developments should be taught.
The inclusion of the Emergency chapter has itself become a major political issue. The BJP has long maintained that the Emergency deserves greater attention in school education because of its impact on democratic institutions and civil liberties. Congress leaders, meanwhile, have accused the government of selectively highlighting historical events while reducing emphasis on constitutional concepts such as secularism.
As the debate continues, the revised NCERT textbook has emerged as the latest flashpoint in the wider discussion over education, history and constitutional values in India.
NCERT has not yet issued a detailed public explanation regarding the omission of the terms “secular” and “secularism” from the revised Class 9 textbook. The changes are expected to remain under scrutiny as schools begin implementing the new curriculum.
