NCERT Revises Class 9 Social Science Textbook: Emergency Chapter Added, Preamble No Longer Included

NCERT's revised Class 9 Social Science textbook adds a chapter on the Emergency while removing the Preamble's text, triggering political debate.
on Jun 26, 2026

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has made some major modifications to their Class 9 Social Science textbook where they have included a comprehensive discussion on the Emergency of 1975–77 but did not include the full text of the Preamble to the Constitution and did not explain concepts like "Socialist" and "Secular". These modifications have again opened up a political debate where both BJP and the Congress are having opposing opinions.

The latest edition of the textbook called "Understanding Society: India and Beyond" is based on NEP 2020 and NCF-SE 2023. The present edition differs from the previous edition of the civics textbook "Democratic Politics-I" in that the present edition has adopted an integrated approach to Social Science which is an amalgamation of history, civics, geography, and economics.

Emergency Discussed for the First Time in Class 9

In class 9, NCERT has brought forth a detailed description of the Emergency which was declared between 1975 and 1977 during the tenure of former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.

The emergency is termed as one of the toughest times in India’s democratic history when certain Fundamental Rights were denied and political opponents were detained while press censorship was also imposed. It also explains how the Emergency posed a serious threat to the functioning of various democratic institutions.

The book mentions the movement by Jayaprakash Narayan and considers it a crucial part of the history of India’s democratic institutions.

Preamble Not Reproduced in Revised Textbook

Among the many modifications in the revised textbook, one of the significant changes includes the absence of the Preamble to the Constitution.

Previous editions included a complete chapter under the title "Constitutional Design" that explained the process of framing the Constitution. The complete text of the Preamble was included in the previous textbook, and the concepts embodied in it were explained. These concepts include Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic, and Republic.

In the present edition, although constitutional concepts, Fundamental Rights, democracy, and constitution-making are still being included in the discussion, the Preamble is no longer reproduced, and its terminology is not being explained either.

Political Responses

The political responses to the book revisions are instant.

The Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan justified the presence of the chapter on the Emergency by stating that it was necessary for the youth of the country to know about one of the darkest times in the history of Indian democracy. It was essential to make future generations realize the significance of constitutional liberties through the study of the Emergency period.

On the other hand, the Congress has opposed the revision, calling it an act of selective history reading. The omission of "Secular" and "Socialist" from the books was seen as undermining the constitutionality of the country.

A Part of a Comprehensive Change in Curriculum Framework

This is a part of the NCERT’s comprehensive reform of the curriculum framework for school education after NEP 2020.

The new curriculum framework for Class 9 Social Science has now replaced the previous framework where each topic was taught as a separate subject. In addition to the Emergency, the revised curriculum has placed increased focus on Indian civilizations, civic engagement, environment, fake news, financial literacy, and constitutional government.

Topics like the French revolution, Nazism, and Russian revolution, which were taught in Class 9 earlier, have now been moved to Class 10.

Context of the Constitution

The phrase *"Socialist"* and *"Secular"* have been incorporated into the preamble to the constitution by virtue of the 42nd amendment to the constitution in 1976 during the Emergency. Despite other changes that were made to the constitution during the Emergency period being repealed through the 44th amendment to the constitution, these two words still find mention in the Preamble.

Even while arguments regarding their validity continue, the Supreme Court has validated them in its recent rulings.

Moving Forward

The new textbooks represent one of the most significant revisions made by NCERT regarding Social Sciences in some time now. According to proponents, the inclusion of the Emergency period will give the students a better grasp of India’s democratic process, whereas opponents state that the exclusion of the text from the Preamble alters the teaching of constitutional principles in schools.

As these new textbooks find their way into schools all over the country, the issue is likely to continue being debated publicly.