New NCERT textbooks for Class 9 are yet to be released even as the new academic session begins on April 1, leaving CBSE schools uncertain about how to proceed. In a statement issued on Tuesday, NCERT confirmed that the books are still under preparation, as they are being revised in accordance with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.
NCERT has advised teachers “to ensure that prerequisite learning of students is adequately addressed before initiating new syllabus and textbooks”. NCERT Secretary Himanshu Gupta stated, “The new textbooks for Grade 9 are under development and will be made available for use from the academic session 2026-27 onwards.” However, with no specific timeline for completion, schools say they are unable to respond to queries from students and parents regarding availability.
“As usual, late. We are commencing classes on April 1 and we don’t have the books with us,” a principal of a CBSE school reacted to the advisory. Another principal questioned the lack of planning, stating, “These things should be planned a year in advance so that students get new books well before the session begins. If NCERT knew it’s playing it so close to the finish line, then they should have postponed it by another year. This last-minute rush is not good at all,”
The advisory further clarified that draft syllabi for Class 9 have been uploaded on the official NCERT website “for reference and feedback”. Teachers have again been advised “to ensure that the prerequisite learning of students is adequately addressed before initiating the new syllabus and textbooks”.
The new Class 9 textbooks are part of a phased rollout aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. NCERT noted that textbooks for Classes 1 to 8, developed as per NCF-SE 2023, “have been developed and are available in both print and digital formats,”. For Classes 10 and 11, new textbooks are expected to be “introduced from 2027-28 session onwards”.
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