NCERT Revises Class 8 History Book: What Has Changed?

NEW DELHI — The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has officially released its revised Social Science and History textbook for Class 8, introducing sweeping changes to historical narratives, political content, and its portrayal of national institutions.

The new textbook, titled Exploring Society: India and Beyond, follows a high-profile intervention by the Supreme Court of India earlier this year. In February, the apex court ordered a complete ban and immediate withdrawal of the previous edition over a controversial chapter on the judiciary. However, the newly printed edition reveals that the NCERT has gone beyond restructuring legal chapters, altering key accounts of India’s independence movement, the Partition, and iconic historical figures.

1. Recasting the Congress Position on Partition

Among the most significant revisions is the altered narrative surrounding the 1947 Partition of India. The previous version of the textbook stated that while Mahatma Gandhi and most leaders of the Indian National Congress opposed the division of the country, they ultimately accepted it as the "only way forward."

The revised text shifts this perspective, stating that the Partition was "widely opposed even by the Indian National Congress." It introduces a more open-ended historical analysis, adding that whether accepting the division was indeed the only resolution remains a matter of ongoing historical debate. Furthermore, a line from the previous edition that described Congress leaders as "helpless" during the outbreak of communal violence has been entirely removed.

2. Dropping Adolf Hitler References from Netaji’s Struggle

The updated curriculum has altered how freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s efforts during World War II are presented. In the older edition, the text explicitly mentioned that Bose traveled to Germany to seek the support of Adolf Hitler, describing Hitler as a "dictator whose racist Nazi ideology and expansionist goals" triggered the global war.

The new version omits all direct references to Hitler, Nazism, and racist ideology. Instead, it adopts a broader statement, noting that Bose "sought support from the anti-British forces" to raise the Indian National Army (INA).

3. Inclusion of V.D. Savarkar’s Swaraj Call

The historical chapter tracking India's journey toward total independence has been expanded to introduce Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. While discussing the rising political demands for complete self-rule during the 1920s, the revised textbook adds a new historical reference: "A similar demand for Swaraj was expressed by V.D. Savarkar in 1925." This addition fills a gap from previous iterations, aligning the Class 8 curriculum with other recent state and central textbook adaptations highlighting early nationalist figures.

4. Overhaul of the Judiciary Chapter and Book Cover

The primary catalyst for the textbook rewrite was Chapter 4, The Role of the Judiciary in Society. The Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the earlier draft, labeling sections detailing "corruption in the judiciary" and systemic backlogs as offensive.

In the revised textbook, the education ministry’s expert committee has completely omitted passages on internal judicial misconduct and delays caused by weak infrastructure. The chapter now pivots toward an educational overview of legal remedies, focusing heavily on:

• Public Interest Litigations (PILs)

• Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms (such as mediation and arbitration)

• Digital initiatives like e-filing, hybrid court hearings, and live-streaming proceedings

This structural pivot is visually reflected on the book’s new front cover. The revised cover artwork places the Supreme Court at the absolute top of the design, giving it dominant visual prominence over other institutions. Meanwhile, the Parliament building has been shifted to the bottom, and portraits of several freedom fighters—including Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Jawaharlal Nehru—have been removed from the collage.

5. Redefining Discrimination

Beyond history and legal structures, the revised textbook modifies sections on social justice. In a chapter discussing citizenship rights, the definition of prohibited discrimination has been formally expanded. It now lists "economic background" as an unethical and legally prohibited ground for discrimination, alongside established categories such as caste, religion, ethnicity, gender, and disability.