New NCERT Class 9 textbook omits Preamble, Secularism references, adds Emergency and SIR; Dharmendra Pradhan reacts

Published 26 June 2026 · politics

The Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has introduced a discussion on the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, while omitting the

The Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has introduced a discussion on the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, while omitting the Preamble and references to ‘secular’ and ‘secularism’ from its Class 9 Social Science textbook, released on 25 June. The Preamble references to ‘secular’ and ‘secularism’ featured prominently in the previous Class 9 textbook. The revised textbook, released under the Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023, discusses the Constitution through its making, democratic institutions and fundamental rights, but does not reproduce the Preamble or explain its terminology, Hindustan Times reported. Quick answers to key questions • 5 QUESTIONS 1 What changes were made to the NCERT Class 9 social science textbook regarding the Preamble and secularism? ⌵ The NCERT Class 9 social science textbook has omitted references to the Preamble and the terms 'secular' and 'secularism', which were included in the previous textbook. This marks a significant shift in how constitutional values are presented. 2 Why was the Emergency added to the Class 9 curriculum for the first time? ⌵ The Emergency was added to highlight one of the major challenges faced by Indian democracy, allowing students to understand its impact on fundamental rights and the functioning of democratic institutions. 3 How does the new textbook explain the significance of the Emergency in Indian history? ⌵ The new textbook describes the Emergency as a period when democratic institutions faced severe strain, with citizens' freedoms curtailed and fundamental rights suspended, marking it as a pivotal event in India's constitutional history. 4 What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) mentioned in the NCERT Class 9 textbook? ⌵ The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is referenced as a process involving the updating and verification of electoral rolls, ensuring that eligible voters, especially young citizens, are included in the electoral process.

5 Should the omission of the Preamble and secularism references in the textbook be a concern? ⌵ Yes, the omission of the Preamble and references to secularism has raised concerns among educators and political analysts about the implications for students' understanding of fundamental constitutional values in India. The textbook also introduces the Emergency for the first time in the revised Class 9 curriculum, describing it as a period when democratic institutions came under severe strain and citizens' freedoms were curtailed. What exactly is dropped? In the earlier NCERT textbook, Democratic Politics-I, an entire chapter titled Constitutional Design was devoted to explaining the making of the Constitution. The chapter used the Preamble as the central framework for introducing students to constitutional values and described it as a document that "contains the philosophy on which the entire Constitution has been built," Hindustan Times reported adding that students were taught the meaning of "Sovereign", "Socialist", "Secular", "Democratic" and "Republic". The chapter said the Preamble "reads like a poem on democracy" and explained secularism as a system with "no official religion" where the state accords equal respect to all faiths. In the new textbook, however, the Constitution is discussed through sections on the Constituent Assembly, constitution-making, democratic institutions and fundamental rights. The textbook notes that the Constituent Assembly was formed in 1946 to draft a Constitution for independent India and describes the Constitution as a "robust, flexible, transformative, and responsive" document. It also emphasises liberty, equality, justice and fraternity, and discusses rights relating to equality, freedom and religion. However, the new textbook does not reproduce the Preamble or explain its terminology. The words "secular" and "secularism" do not appear in the volume, the HT report said. The newly released 220-page textbook, Understanding Society: India and Beyond-Part 1, replaces separate textbooks for history, geography, political science and economics that were in use till the 2025-26 academic session.