The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has introduced a new chapter on the 1975-77 Emergency in its Class 9 Social Science textbook for the first time. The chapter describes the Emergency as one of the biggest challenges faced by India’s democracy and has drawn widespread attention.
According to the new textbook, the Emergency was declared on June 25, 1975, by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi under Article 352 of the Constitution. During this period, many Fundamental Rights were suspended, political leaders were arrested, press freedom was restricted, and elections were postponed.
The chapter explains how democratic institutions came under pressure during the 21 month Emergency. It highlights that citizens’ civil liberties were limited and government actions faced little public scrutiny because of censorship.
NCERT says the chapter aims to help students understand the importance of constitutional values, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights. The inclusion is part of the revised curriculum introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
An NCERT official confirmed that this was the first time that the Emergency was included under the section titled “challenges to democratic practices in India” in the Class 9 textbook. The text in the section highlights “dissatisfaction” with the Indira Gandhi government, and issues including unemployment, inflation and others.
“One of the major challenges to democracy in India was recorded when an Emergency was imposed in 1975-77. In the early 1970s, public dissatisfaction with the government led by Indira Gandhi was growing. Rising unemployment, inflation, and allegations of misgovernance led to widespread protests,” the text reads.
Defending NCERT's decision, union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said it had “done the right thing.” “uture generations should know and understand the dark deeds of the Emergency so that such a situation does not arise again,” Pradhan told reporters, according to ANI news agency. He said that the NCERT had done a “good job” in bringing the topic to the “forefront.”
The new lesson has sparked public and political discussion. Supporters say students should learn about a significant period in India’s democratic history, while critics argue that such historical events should be presented with balance and proper context.
The revised textbook is part of NCERT’s newly developed Social Science curriculum and will be used by Class 9 students from the current academic session.
