The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has introduced significant changes to its revised Class 9 Social Science textbook, adding a chapter on the 1975-77 Emergency while omitting the Preamble and references to “secular” and “secularism” that were included in the previous edition. The revised book, developed under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023, has triggered a fresh political debate.
Unlike the earlier textbook, which dedicated an entire chapter to the Constitution and used the Preamble to explain constitutional values, the new edition discusses the Constitution through its formation, democratic institutions and fundamental rights. However, it does not reproduce the Preamble or explain terms such as “Sovereign”, “Socialist”, “Secular”, “Democratic” and “Republic”.
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The revised textbook introduces the Emergency as a major challenge to Indian democracy. It explains that the Emergency, imposed in 1975, led to the suspension of several Fundamental Rights, censorship of the press and the arrest of political leaders, placing democratic institutions under considerable strain. The chapter also notes that the lifting of the Emergency and the subsequent 1977 General Election demonstrated the resilience of Indian democracy.
The changes have sparked sharp political reactions. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan defended the inclusion of the Emergency, saying future generations should understand that period of India’s history. Congress leaders, however, criticised the revisions, alleging they reflected political motives and diluted constitutional values. The revised textbook will be introduced from the 2026-27 academic session as part of NCERT’s curriculum overhaul.
