'No Eligible Voter Is Left Out': NCERT Introduces Section On SIR In Class 9 Textbook

Published 26 June 2026 · india

'No Eligible Voter Is Left Out': NCERT Introduces Section On SIR In Class 9 Textbook Published By, Last Updated: June 26, 2026, 10:26 IST The

'No Eligible Voter Is Left Out': NCERT Introduces Section On SIR In Class 9 Textbook Published By, Last Updated: June 26, 2026, 10:26 IST The NCER, India's primary educational body, has described the country's electoral process as "unparalleled and distinct from those in other parts of the world" NCERT introduces a section on SIR in Class 9 Textbook | Image for representation: PTI A year after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly election, the exercise has now been included in NCERT’s new Class 9 Social Science textbook, titled ‘Understanding Society: India and Beyond‘. The NCERT –– India’s primary educational body –– has described the country’s electoral process as “unparalleled and distinct from those in other parts of the world", according to the textbook, accessed by CNN-News18.

Through SIR, the poll body “ensures that no eligible citizen is left out and no ineligible person is included in the electoral roll", it reads, suggesting the exercise is a tool to to update, verify, and correct electoral rolls. The chapter also focusses on “Challenges to Free and Fair Elections" in the country, highlighting how the poll body addresses the obstacles through various measures, including the Representation of the People Act, 1950. However, there were various concerns raised by opposition parties over the credibility and fairness of the SIR. The Congress had opposed the SIR, alleging that the exercise was being conducted for “vote theft". The opposition is yet to comment on the mention of SIR included in the NCERT’S textbook for Class 9. Row Over ‘Emergency’ Bit In NCERT Book A day before, it was reported that the NCERT had included a topic covering the the 1975 Emergency –– declared under the Indira Gandhi-led government –– describing the period as “one of the major challenges" faced by India’s democratic system.

According to an official, this is the first time an NCERT book has included a section on the Emergency. The development came as India marked its 51st anniversary of the Emergency in 1975 on Thursday, June 25. “One of the major challenges to democracy in India was recorded when an Emergency was imposed in 1975-77. In the early 1970s, public dissatisfaction with the government led by Indira Gandhi was growing. Rising unemployment, inflation, and allegations of misgovernance led to widespread protests," it says. The addition drew flak from the opposition parties, with NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule saying it was “sad" that politics was being brought into education. However, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan backed the move, asserting future generations should be aware of the “dark deeds of the Emergency". News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: June 26, 2026, 10:26 IST News india 'No Eligible Voter Is Left Out': NCERT Introduces Section On SIR In Class 9 Textbook Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s.