Chapter on the Emergency to be Introduced in Schools; Full Account in NCERT Class 9 Textbook

Emergency in NCERT Class 9 Textbook: The Emergency, imposed in the country nearly 50 years ago, will now be taught to school students. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has included a special section on the Emergency in the new Class 9 Social Science textbook.

Emergency in NCERT Class 9 Textbook: The topic of the Emergency has been added under the chapter titled "Challenges to Democracy." According to NCERT, students at the Class 9 level will be provided with detailed information about the Emergency for the first time. The objective is to help students understand the challenges facing Indian democracy, as well as its strengths and evolution.

Emergency in NCERT Class 9 Textbook: In which book will the Emergency be covered?

This topic has been included in the new book titled "Understanding Society: India and Beyond." The book explains the functioning of Indian democracy, its characteristics, and the problems it faces.

The book highlights that democracy is not limited merely to elections; rather, civil rights, freedom, and the strength of constitutional institutions are also its defining features. In this context, the Emergency is presented as a major test for Indian democracy.

What happened during the Emergency?

The book explains that in the early 1970s, protests began erupting across the country due to unemployment, inflation, and growing discontent against the government. Against this backdrop, in June 1975, the then-government imposed a national Emergency, citing internal disturbance.

According to the book, several fundamental rights were suspended during the Emergency. Censorship was imposed on the press, and numerous political leaders and social activists were arrested. During this period, democratic institutions came under pressure, and civil liberties were also impacted.

Study of Jayaprakash Narayan's Role

The new book also mentions the contribution of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan. It details how he mobilized students and ordinary citizens to lead massive movements. Under his leadership, several movements took place—particularly in Bihar and Gujarat—that strengthened the opposition to the Emergency.

This new NCERT book discusses not only the Emergency but also other challenges facing democracy. It addresses issues such as fake news, the spread of misinformation, poverty, regionalism, social discrimination, gender inequality, damage to public property, and the neglect of civic responsibilities.