The Crossbill News Desk
Fresh debates have erupted around the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) after it introduced a chapter on the 1975 Emergency in Class 9 textbooks, defended the title of its new Class 6 Kannada textbook, and revised the sequencing of major history topics by shifting subjects such as Nazism and the French and Russian Revolutions to Class 10.
The controversy over the Kannada textbook centres on its title, “Krishna”, which had triggered criticism in Karnataka, with some alleging that it reflected a religious or ideological bias.
Responding to the criticism, NCERT said the naming followed its broader practice of naming language textbooks after major Indian rivers, news website The Wire reported.
According to the website the NCERT says:
With regard to the title of the textbook, it is to be stated that NCERT has named its language textbooks, including R3 language textbooks, after rivers of India. The title of the book “Krishna” is after the Krishna River, which is one of the major rivers of Karnataka. It is to be noted that the Hindi textbook has been named as “Ganga”, the English textbook has been named as “Kaveri”, and the Urdu textbook has been named as “Jamuna” (Yamuna). Similarly, the Kannada textbook has been named as “Krishna”. This approach is appropriate from a localised and cultural perspective, particularly in view of the emphasis laid in NEP 2020 and NCF-SE 2023 on rootedness, cultural connect, and meaningful contexts for learners.
The council also responded to criticism regarding the depiction of a “balanced diet” in Chapter 6, ‘Health is Wealth’. Critics had argued that the illustration appeared to favour vegetarianism because fruits, vegetables and staples featured prominently.
NCERT, however, maintained that “the illustrative image given on page 63 includes both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items.”
It further stated, “Nowhere in the textbook is vegetarianism explained or justified, nor is non-vegetarian food opposed. The purpose of the chapter is to create awareness about healthy food items.”
At the same time, the council’s statement noted that “the text explains that our body needs balanced foods such as milk, green leafy vegetables, vegetables, fruits and other food items, and that these should be part of our daily diet,” without specifically mentioning non-vegetarian food.
Separately, NCERT has added a section on the 1975 Emergency to the new Class 9 textbook, Understanding Society: India and Beyond, where the period is described as “one of the major challenges” faced by Indian democracy.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan welcomed the move, while an NCERT official said this is the first time the Emergency has been included in a Class 9 textbook.
According to reports, the curriculum revision also pushes topics including Nazism, the French Revolution and the Russian Revolution out of the Class 9 syllabus and into Class 10. According to reports, the changes are part of what has been described as one of the sharpest curriculum overhauls at the secondary level.
The new Class 9 textbooks will be introduced in the 2026-27 academic session, while the revised Class 10 books are scheduled to be rolled out a year later, in 2027-28.
The controversy over the Kannada textbook centres on its title, “Krishna”, which had triggered criticism in Karnataka, with some alleging that it reflected a religious or ideological bias.
Responding to the criticism, NCERT said the naming followed its broader practice of naming language textbooks after major Indian rivers, news website The Wire reported.
According to the website the NCERT says:
With regard to the title of the textbook, it is to be stated that NCERT has named its language textbooks, including R3 language textbooks, after rivers of India. The title of the book “Krishna” is after the Krishna River, which is one of the major rivers of Karnataka. It is to be noted that the Hindi textbook has been named as “Ganga”, the English textbook has been named as “Kaveri”, and the Urdu textbook has been named as “Jamuna” (Yamuna). Similarly, the Kannada textbook has been named as “Krishna”. This approach is appropriate from a localised and cultural perspective, particularly in view of the emphasis laid in NEP 2020 and NCF-SE 2023 on rootedness, cultural connect, and meaningful contexts for learners.
The council also responded to criticism regarding the depiction of a “balanced diet” in Chapter 6, ‘Health is Wealth’. Critics had argued that the illustration appeared to favour vegetarianism because fruits, vegetables and staples featured prominently.
NCERT, however, maintained that “the illustrative image given on page 63 includes both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items.”
It further stated, “Nowhere in the textbook is vegetarianism explained or justified, nor is non-vegetarian food opposed. The purpose of the chapter is to create awareness about healthy food items.”
At the same time, the council’s statement noted that “the text explains that our body needs balanced foods such as milk, green leafy vegetables, vegetables, fruits and other food items, and that these should be part of our daily diet,” without specifically mentioning non-vegetarian food.
Separately, NCERT has added a section on the 1975 Emergency to the new Class 9 textbook, Understanding Society: India and Beyond, where the period is described as “one of the major challenges” faced by Indian democracy.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan welcomed the move, while an NCERT official said this is the first time the Emergency has been included in a Class 9 textbook.
According to reports, the curriculum revision also pushes topics including Nazism, the French Revolution and the Russian Revolution out of the Class 9 syllabus and into Class 10. According to reports, the changes are part of what has been described as one of the sharpest curriculum overhauls at the secondary level.
The new Class 9 textbooks will be introduced in the 2026-27 academic session, while the revised Class 10 books are scheduled to be rolled out a year later, in 2027-28.
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