NCERT Announces Textbook Revision Within A Year
The NCERT is poised to introduce new chapters in its Class VI mathematics and social sciences textbooks a year after their revision, responding to criticism that the updated books lack essential content from the syllabus. Two members of the National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC), responsible for developing educational materials for Classes III to XII, informed The Telegraph that additions will be made to both textbooks, though specific details about the content were not disclosed.
The new textbooks released this year have drawn scrutiny for appearing to be rushed. The mathematics book, Ganita Prakash, was printed in August, four months into the academic session, while the social science book, Exploring Society: India and Beyond, was printed in July. Notably, the new mathematics book omits topics such as decimals, algebra, and ratios, which are part of the current Class VI syllabus.
An NSTC member indicated that the forthcoming chapters for the 2025-26 session would likely include one on decimals, but did not elaborate further. The new Class VI social science textbook has faced criticism for removing key chapters, including those on the transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture, Ashoka’s renunciation of war, and rural and urban livelihoods.
Michel Danino, a visiting professor at IIT Gandhinagar and a prominent NSTC member, stated that plans to enhance the Grade 6 social science textbooks are underway but provided no additional details. He emphasized that this year’s textbook was written based on a “completely different basis” with a new pedagogical approach, making comparisons with the previous edition irrelevant.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the country’s largest school board, exclusively uses NCERT textbooks, and some state boards also prescribe select NCERT books for their students. Ashok Agrawal, a member of Delhi University’s advisory body, expressed concern that the current maths and social science books for Class VI are incomplete, violating the Right to Education Act, which mandates maintaining educational standards.
Agrawal raised questions about how this year's Class VI students will manage in mathematics and social sciences in Class VII next year, given that they have been deprived of instruction on foundational topics. Additionally, the Directorate of Education issued guidelines on Tuesday for implementing 10 bagless days across government and private schools in Delhi. The DoE has directed all school heads to adopt these guidelines for students in Classes VI to VIII, which have been developed by the NCERT.
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