The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has made major changes to its Class 7 Social Science textbooks for the academic year 2025-26. One of the major changes is the removal of chapters on the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughals. In place of these, the new syllabus focuses more on ancient Indian dynasties, pilgrimage sites, and cultural traditions.

A new, single textbook

The new content is presented in a single, consolidated textbook titled Exploring Society – India and Beyond (Part 1). This replaces the earlier separate books for History, Geography, and Civics (Social and Political Life). According to NCERT officials, Part 2 of the textbook will be released later this year to cover the remaining syllabus.

Part 1 of the book focuses on five main themes:

  1. India and the world
  2. Tapestry of the past
  3. Our cultural heritage and knowledge traditions
  4. Governance and democracy
  5. Economic life around us

History ends with the Gupta Empire

The new history book is different from the old one. While the old book started from the 7th century and included topics on the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire, the new book ends at the Gupta dynasty, which was from the 3rd to the 6th centuries AD. It focuses on the Mauryan Empire, Ashoka’s rule, and the politics of ancient India. The book also talks about early Indian dynasties like the Shungas, Satavahanas, Cholas, and Pandyas, helping students understand early Indian kingdoms and their culture better.

No mention of the Delhi Sultanate or Mughals

The Delhi Sultanate, Mughal rule, and their systems of governance are not covered in the updated textbooks. It is unclear if these topics will be included in Part 2. This change marks a departure from earlier syllabus cuts made during the pandemic, where some references were removed but not entirely eliminated.

Focus on pilgrimage sites and Indian knowledge

A new chapter titled How the Land Becomes Sacred introduces various sacred sites across religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, and Sikhism. It also discusses the Kumbh Mela, a major Hindu festival that sees participation from 660 million pilgrims. However, it does not mention tragic events like the 2013 stampede at the festival. Additionally, the textbook emphasises ancient Indian knowledge systems, such as Kautilya’s Arthashastra, Aryabhata’s astronomy, and the contributions of the Gupta Empire.

Controversy and criticism

The changes in the textbooks have sparked controversy, with opposition parties accusing NCERT of pushing a political agenda. Last year, NCERT faced criticism for removing references to the 2002 Gujarat riots, which NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani defended by saying that removing violent content would help create “positive citizens”. NCERT officials have stated that the current book is just Part 1 and that more chapters will be included in Part 2. However, they have not confirmed whether the omitted topics will be added later.

 

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