NCERT rolls out new Class 9 science book

SAnjay MauryaNew new delhi: The subject Council of Educational explore and preparation (NCERT) on fri released a new Class 9 science textbook, to be introduced from the 2026–27 academic session, integrating contemporary science with India’s traditional knowledge systems and highlighting contributions of Indian scientists and institutions such as the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune.The 13-chapter textbook, titled Exploration, replaces the earlier book first published in 2006, which originally had 15 chapters and was later reduced to 12 after rationalisation in 2022.Aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023, the new book focuses on inquiry, experimentation, data analysis and real-life application, marking a shift away from rote learning, said an NCERT official familiar with the development.The opening chapter introduces students to scientific methods, concepts and language used in secondary-level science.Core topics such as cells, tissues, motion, mixtures, force, work and energy, atoms and sound have been retained with revised framing. However, standalone chapters on gravitation and improvement in food resources have been removed.“We will introduce chapters on gravitation and agriculture-related concepts in Class 10 next year in line with the continuity of science textbooks aligned with NEP 2020 and NCF-SE 2023. Students currently in Class 9 will study these concepts in Class 10,” said the official.The textbook adds a chapter on “Reproduction: How Life Continues”, previously taught in Class 10, covering plant and human reproduction, menstruation, hygiene and prevention of unwanted pregnancies.It also brings back chapters on diversity and classification of plants and animals, and Earth as a system, which were dropped during earlier rationalisation.Students are introduced to Indian scientists such as C. V. Raman, Meghnad Saha and Homi Jehangir Bhabha. The book also includes references to traditional knowledge. For instance, it references the concept of speed in the Aryabhatiya (5th century CE), the traditional deg-bhapka distillation method used in Kannauj’s perfume industry, and Acharya Kanada’s concept of paramanu from the Vaisesika Sutras, alongside real-life examples and activities to promote experiential learning.“Exploration aligns with NEP 2020 and NCF-SE 2023 by promoting experiential and inquiry-based learning… It fosters a holistic understanding of science and highlights the interrelationship between science, technology and society,” NCERT director Dinesh Prasad Saklani writes in the foreword.