NCERT Denies Removal of Preamble from Class 9 Social Science Textbook
NEW DELHI: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has publicly denied reports suggesting that the Preamble has been eliminated from the newly updated Class 9 Social Science textbook. This clarification was reported by ANI, citing sources from within the NCERT.
According to these sources, the curriculum overhaul is part of the implementation of the new National Curriculum Framework, which aims to redistribute topics over various grades rather than confining them to a single textbook.
“The Preamble continues to appear in the opening pages of all new NCERT textbooks, including all Social Science textbooks. It is also an integral part of the Grade 10 syllabus,” the sources informed ANI.
They further explained that essential constitutional values, including secularism, justice, liberty, and socialism, are already included in Grades 6 to 8, especially in the Grade 7 Social Science textbook, and will be explored in greater detail in Grade 10.
This announcement comes in light of vigorous criticisms from the opposition, which alleged that significant references to “secular” and “secularism” have been removed from NCERT’s revised Class 9 Social Science textbook.
One of the most notable amendments includes the omission of the Preamble from the introductory chapter on the Constitution, along with the removal of earlier references to “secular” and “secularism” from the primary content of the textbook.
In lieu of these changes, NCERT has introduced a comprehensive discussion on constitutional values, governance, and institutions, restructuring the subject to align with the integrated learning approach of the National Educational Policy (NEP) 2020.
Additionally, the revised curriculum features a new chapter dedicated to the 1975–77 Emergency in India, which marks its first introduction in a Class 9 textbook. This update also expands lessons concerning India’s electoral system and democratic institutions, along with advisory notes cautioning against counterfeit textbooks.
The revised book, titled Understanding Society: India and Beyond, includes a focused section on the Emergency, which is depicted as a significant challenge to the principles of Indian democracy.
