By the end of 2024, India’s educational reforms will take center stage with significant updates to NCERT textbooks. These revisions, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, are aimed at modernizing the curriculum and reducing the academic burden on students. The changes span a number of subjects, including history, political science, and science, and are set to affect students and teachers in the coming academic year.
While some have welcomed these updates as progressive, others have raised concerns about their ideological implications. The revisions also include changes in the availability of new content and structured programs for easy conversion to the updated curriculum.
New textbooks for special classes
Introduction of New Course: NCERT introduced new textbooks for classes 3 and 6 in April and May 2024, marking an essential milestone in curriculum revision. For Grade 3, the updated textbooks emphasize experiential learning with activity-based content in math and environmental studies. Modifications to Class 6 include coding fundamentals in computer science and an enhanced focus on Indian heritage in social sciences. These updates are in line with NEP-2020, supporting the transition from basic to middle-stage education.
No change for other classes: No updates have been made for classes 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, and 11 for the 2024-25 academic year. Schools will continue to use the previous year’s textbooks for these grades.
Curriculum rationalization and content updates
Reasonable effort: Launched in 2021-2022, the rationalization process aimed to reduce course load, support student mental health post-Covid-19 and focus on creating a more structured curriculum.
Updates in Science Curriculum: One of the most debated changes in the science curriculum is the removal of the periodic table from the class 9 curriculum. Critics argue that this change compromises basic scientific education, while NCERT claims that the subject has been moved to Class 11 for better alignment with learning stages.
Revisions in History and Political Science Textbooks
Changes to historical content: The Revised History Textbooks Significant changes have taken place. The reference to the Babri Masjid has been replaced by the term “three-domed structure”. Content about the BJP’s ‘rath yatra’, communal violence, and the subsequent political fallout was also removed.
Changes in Mughal History: Tables summarizing the achievements of major Mughal emperors such as Akbar, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb were omitted. This has given rise to criticism regarding the exclusion of important historical narratives that contribute to a nuanced understanding of India’s past.
New Terminology and Approach: The term “classical history” has replaced “ancient history” in social science textbooks. Additionally, proposals are pending to replace ‘Bharat’ with ‘Bharat’ in textbooks, in line with the constitutional wording.
Political Science Revision: The revised Class 11 Political Science textbooks now state that political parties often prefer “minority appeasement” to “vote bank politics”. The change has been criticized for introducing potentially controversial political views into educational content.
Implementation timeline and availability
Rollout of new content: Revised textbooks for classes 3 and 6 were released in phases, with class 3 materials available from April 2024 and class 6 from May 2024. Updates for other classes are expected in the coming academic years.
Bridge Programs for Teachers: NCERT has introduced “Bridge Programs” to ease the transition to the new curriculum. These programs aim to prepare teachers for new educational methods while ensuring smooth implementation in CBSE, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) schools.
Support and criticism
Although these changes reflect efforts to modernize education and align it with global standards, they are not without controversy. The removal of specific content, particularly in history and science, has sparked debate about the objectivity and inclusiveness of the curriculum. Proponents argue that these amendments are necessary to reduce redundancy and increase sharper focus on essential issues.
2024 NCERT has been transformative for textbooks, these updates are planned to impact the education system significantly. The coming academic year will serve as a litmus test for the effectiveness and reception of these changes in classrooms across the country.