Finance
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released an advisory regarding the progressive implementation of new textbooks under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023. The announcement informed pupils in Classes 10 and 11 that new textbooks would be presented starting with the academic term 2027-28, rather than the current academic session.
The Council verified that new textbooks for grades 1–8 have already been prepared and are accessible in print and digital versions. While for class 9, NCERT said new textbooks are being developed and will be accessible beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. Draft syllabi for class 9, based on NCF-SE 2023 recommendations, have been published on the official NCERT website for reference and feedback from educators. Draft syllabi for class 9, based on NCF-SE 2023 recommendations, have been published on the official NCERT website for reference and feedback from educators.
The NCERT, on the other hand, has released a new English textbook for Class 9, dubbed Kaveri, that focuses more on Indian writers and components of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), according to news agency PTI.
The book, produced in accordance with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023, replaces the previous textbooks Beehive and Moments. Unlike previous editions taught between 2006-07 and 2025-26, which included 15 of 29 texts by international authors, the new compilation evenly mixes Indian and foreign voices.
Kaveri features 16 texts, eight of which are by Indian authors, including Tamil poet Subramania Bharati, Rajya Sabha MP and author Sudha Murty, Naga writer Temsula Ao, Assamese novelist Mitra Phukan, and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. The book begins with a story from Murty’s 2004 collection, How I Taught My Grandmother to Read and Other Stories.
Foreign contributions include works by American poet David Roth, English poet Charles Swain, children’s writer Bryanna T. Perkins, poet Robert Langley, novelist Maya Anthony, and Singaporean author Irene Chua. The collection also includes an anonymous poetry, Gifts of Grace: Honoring Our Vocations, and an interview-based article, The World of Limitless Possibilities, which features Paralympic athlete Deepa Malik.
Officials stated that the number of textbooks for the subject has been cut from two to one, with the total number of texts decreased from 29 to 16, resulting in a more streamlined curriculum with equal coverage of Indian and world literature.
Source: IE
