NCERT Adds Chapter Praising Election Commission in Class 9 Books, Sparks Political Row Over SIR

NCERT has introduced a section in the Class 9 Social Science textbook that praises the Election Commission of India for running what it calls an "unparalleled" electoral system. The chapter has surfaced amid an ongoing row over the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls, known as SIR, and has drawn criticism from opposition leaders.

What the new chapter says

The chapter, titled "Elections," is part of the newly designed textbook Understanding Society: India and Beyond, Part 1. It tells students that India's electoral exercise is unparalleled and distinct from anywhere else in the world, pointing to the over 96.8 crore eligible voters spread across the country. The book also explains how the Election Commission handles everything from updating voter lists to candidate nominations, campaign rules, coordination with state police, security arrangements, vote counting, and settling disputes, largely through technology and e-governance.

A section called "Challenges to Free and Fair Elections" tells students that conducting polls for close to 97 crore voters across thousands of polling booths and hundreds of parties, spread over very different regions and economic conditions, is genuinely difficult. To deal with issues like fake news and voter intimidation, the book states the Election Commission relies on laws like the Representation of the People Act of 1950 and 1951, the Model Code of Conduct, EVMs, the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail system, and regular voter awareness drives.

There is also a section built around the theme "No Voter to Be Left Behind." It walks students through Braille-enabled EVMs, home voting facilities for elderly citizens, and a range of digital tools the Commission has built, including the Saksham app for persons with disabilities, the Voter Helpline app, the cVIGIL app for reporting rule violations, and platforms like ERONET and Sugam.

Political reaction

The chapter's arrival, while SIR remains a contested issue in several states, has drawn a sharp response from the opposition. TMC MP Saugata Roy said it felt wrong to include such content in a school book, given the complaints his party has raised about the SIR process. He claimed 27 lakh voters in West Bengal were denied their right to vote during the exercise and called the inclusion of this material in the NCERT book unjustified.

Other recent NCERT changes

A day before this development came to light, reports emerged that NCERT had also added a section on the 1975 Emergency to the same Class 9 textbook. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said future generations needed to understand the Emergency's events so similar circumstances do not arise again. According to the textbook, the Emergency section covers the suspension of fundamental rights, press censorship, and the protest movement led by Jayaprakash Narayan, and notes the government's defeat in the 1977 elections that followed.

Separately, NCERT also addressed concerns around its Class 6 Kannada textbook, titled "Krishna." Some critics had alleged the title referenced the Hindu deity and pointed to a vegetarian bias in its food-related chapter. NCERT clarified that the name refers to the Krishna River and said its diet chapter includes non-vegetarian items, reflecting India's diverse food culture. Critics have continued to argue that the book does not adequately represent Karnataka's regional voice.

Read More: NCERT Says 'Krishna' Textbook Named After Rivers Like the Rest, Pushes Back on Saffronisation and Diet Bias Claims