School students will now also study the history of the Emergency; NCERT has included the Emergency in the Class 9 syllabus..

Emergency Enters NCERT Class 9 Textbooks: For the first time in nearly 51 years, NCERT has included a detailed chapter on the 1975–77 Emergency in its Class 9 Social Science textbook. The new book, titled *Understanding Society: India and Beyond*, describes the Emergency as one of the greatest challenges faced by Indian democracy.

According to the book, widespread protests erupted across the country in the early 1970s due to rising unemployment, inflation, and discontent with the government. During this period, major movements emerged under the leadership of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan. On June 25, 1975, the government led by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed a state of Emergency in the country.

What does the book cover?
The NCERT book explains that during the Emergency, most fundamental rights were suspended, press censorship was imposed, and numerous opposition leaders and activists were arrested. It also notes that this period put the institutions of Indian democracy and civil liberties to the test.

The chapter discusses the political background of the Emergency, Jayaprakash Narayan's movement, the impact on democracy, and the restoration of democracy following the 1977 general elections. According to NCERT, this is the first time the Emergency has been covered in such detail in the Class 9 curriculum.

A major challenge for independent India: Pilot
Commenting on the inclusion of the Emergency in the NCERT Class 9 textbook, Congress leader Sachin Pilot stated that whenever the BJP is in power—whether at the Centre or in a state—it attempts to present history according to its own preferences. He remarked that the challenges democracy faces today are unprecedented in the history of independent India.

He pointed out the manner in which voices are being suppressed through the use of social media, the mainstream media, the judiciary, the bureaucracy, and the Election Commission, noting that this is the first time a government has misused these institutions in such a way.

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