The NCERT has released a draft syllabus for Class 9 social science textbooks, emphasizing Indian knowledge systems and cultural contributions. Set for release in March, these books will highlight indigenous intellect in fields like mathematics, philosophy, science, and more. The curriculum stresses inquiry-driven learning.
New Delhi: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) released the draft syllabus for Class 9 social science textbooks on Thursday, to be available in March. The curriculum focuses on indigenous intellectual and cultural contributions in fields such as mathematics, philosophy, science, technology, medicine, architecture, agriculture, literature, and art.
Students will learn about Indian philosophy, Ayurveda, yoga, the '22 shrutis' of Indian music, horticulture, the use of herbs and spices, and etymology, and how these influenced Indian history. It covers the emergence of the modern Indian nation alongside the rich civilizational history of the Indian subcontinent, including early democratic traditions in various parts of ancient India.
Students are expected to understand and analyze social, cultural, and political life in India over time, as well as the underlying historical Indian ethos and philosophy of unity in diversity, while recognizing past and present challenges and efforts to address them. The syllabus will discuss forms of inequality, injustice, and discrimination arising from internal and external forces, including colonization, and examine movements towards equity, inclusion, justice, and harmony.
The new books emphasize inquiry-driven learning rooted in Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), culturally rooted perspectives, and lived realities, focusing on core concepts rather than memorization. NCERT has released drafts for languages, science, mathematics, and social science to support teachers' planning for the 2026-27 academic session. The curriculum across all 10 subjects will be competency-based and experiential, aligned with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023 and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Navneet Sharma, a faculty member in the department of education at Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP), Dharamshala, said, 'Indigenous knowledge includes tribal, Dalit, minority and women’s perspectives, and their narratives should be reflected in textbooks to make them truly pan-Indian. There is no problem in teaching new government policies but students should be encouraged to critically analyse policies, question them and understand how policy documents are made, rather than only praise or accept them uncritically.' He suggested replacing IKS with indigenous knowledge systems.
