New Delhi | April 02, 2026 — The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has announced that new textbooks for Class 9, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF-SE) 2023, will be released between April 10 and April 15, 2026.
During a CBSE webinar on Thursday, NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani confirmed that while most books are currently in the printing stage, the rollout is set for the 2026–27 academic session.
Key Highlights of the Rollout
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Expert Involvement: Unlike previous editions written by small groups, these textbooks involved approximately 4,000 experts to provide diverse perspectives and ensure a comprehensive conclusion.
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Release Timeline: Most Class 9 subjects will be available by April 15. A few select books undergoing “careful review” to avoid potential controversies may follow shortly after.
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Classes 10 & 11: The transition for these classes to the new NCF-aligned curriculum is scheduled for the 2027–28 session.
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Pre-existing Releases: Textbooks for Classes 1 to 8 have already been released under the new framework.
Addressing Recent Controversies
The Director noted that the rigorous review process aims to minimize public debate and legal friction. This follows a significant incident in February 2026, where the Supreme Court criticized a Class 8 chapter regarding “Corruption in the Judiciary.” NCERT subsequently issued an unconditional apology and recalled 80,000 copies to rewrite the content.
CBSE Advisory for Schools
With the new academic session having already started on April 1, CBSE Chairperson Rahul Singh urged the 32,900+ affiliated schools not to halt learning while waiting for physical copies.
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Digital Resources: Schools are encouraged to use the syllabi and digital materials available on the CBSE website.
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Instructional Strategy: Teachers have been advised to begin with grammar components in languages and foundational topics in Mathematics and Science that are already outlined in the curriculum.
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Mandatory Use: It remains mandatory for all CBSE schools to use NCERT-prescribed textbooks for Classes 9 to 12.
NCERT has urged school principals to focus on aligning school culture with the NCF-SE 2023 by improving infrastructure and focusing on student psychology during this transition period.
