Income tax, startups, welfare schemes: What's new in NCERT's Class 9 Social Science book

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released a new Class 9 Social Science textbook, ‘Understanding Society: India and Beyond’ Part 2, bringing topics such as income tax, welfare schemes, entrepreneurship, governance and nation-building into the curriculum.

The textbook introduces students to practical aspects of taxation and personal finance while also using government policies and Indian governance traditions to explain broader economic and political concepts.

Income tax and personal finance

A chapter titled ‘Managing Your Personal Finances’ includes slab-wise income-tax calculations under the new tax regime, along with worked examples.

The book describes paying taxes “honestly and on time” as an important responsibility of citizens and explains how tax collections contribute to national development. It also uses Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana as an example while discussing financial protection for low-income households.

The chapter brings taxation, health insurance and personal financial planning together as part of citizens’ economic responsibilities.

Startups and Indian business stories

Entrepreneurship features prominently in the chapter ‘From Ideas to Startups’. It traces the journey of Lijjat Papad, which began with seven Mumbai homemakers pooling Rs 80 in 1959 and later grew into a cooperative with 45,000 members and a reported turnover of Rs 1,600 crore by 2023.

The textbook also profiles hotelier Mohan Singh Oberoi, tracing his journey from working as a hotel desk clerk earning Rs 50 a month to establishing a major hotel chain.

It discusses the Chettiar community’s historical trading and lending networks and connects entrepreneurship with the Viksit Bharat 2047 and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.

A quote from Swami Vivekananda—“Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached”—introduces a section on India’s more than 120 unicorns.

Governance and nation-building

The political science chapter ‘Governance and Public Policy’ examines Indian governance traditions alongside contemporary policymaking.

It discusses symbols including “Satyamev Jayate”, the Supreme Court’s “Yato Dharmastato Jayah” and the Sengol. The chapter also uses the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 as an example of consultative and evidence-based policymaking.

Good governance is explained through seven principles: participation, rule of law, accountability, effectiveness, inclusiveness, responsiveness and transparency.

The textbook also uses Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 to discuss the role of sports in nation-building.

New textbooks under NEP

Part 1 of the Class 9 Social Science textbook was released in June 2026. Part 2 contains six chapters covering history, political science, geography and economics.

NCERT is rolling out revised textbooks under the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023. New textbooks have so far been released for Classes 1 to 9.