New Delhi: The NCERT has included in the class 9 social science textbook a section on Emergency, which it described as "one of the major challenges to democracy in India" with Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan hailing the move saying future generations should know about the "dark deeds".

While the topic was made part of class 12 school curriculum during UPA rule in 2007, this is the first time it has been included in class 9 textbooks.

"One of the major challenges to democracy in India was recorded when an Emergency was imposed in 1975-77. In the early 1970s, public dissatisfaction with the government led by Indira Gandhi was growing. Rising unemployment, inflation, and allegations of misgovernance led to widespread protests," said the paragraph in the newly developed Social Science textbook "Understanding Society: India and Beyond".

"In June 1975, a National Emergency was imposed by the government on the grounds of internal disturbance. During this period, a majority of fundamental rights were suspended, the press was censored, and numerous political leaders and activists were arrested. Democratic institutions came under severe strain, and citizens' freedom was restricted," the section says.

The Emergency was imposed 51 years ago on June 25, 1975, following a period of political unrest and a court verdict that declared Gandhi's election null and void.

Speaking to reporters, Pradhan said, "NCERT has done the right thing. Future generations should know and understand the dark deeds of the Emergency so that such a situation does not arise again. That is why NCERT brought it to the forefront. NCERT did a good job."

The BJP also backed the decision saying the "dark chapter" in India's constitutional history must be remembered to ensure it is never repeated.

The ruling party attacked the Congress over the imposition of Emergency and alleged that it is opposing the National Council of Educational Research and Training's (NCERT) decision to introduce the section.

According to BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, June 25, 1975, marked the darkest chapter of India's democratic and constitutional journey and alleged that the Congress had attacked every constitutional institution during the period.

"The Emergency was imposed out of lust for power by Indira Gandhi and the Congress. Every constitutional body was attacked. Parliament, the legislature, the judiciary and the media were censored and suppressed.

"We saw how even the likes of Kishore Kumar had their voice suppressed and their songs removed from All India Radio. These were the kind of atrocities that were committed," he said in a video statement.

He said fundamental rights were suspended, judicial review taken away and constitutional safeguards dismantled

The NCERT's decision to include a chapter on the Emergency will help students learn about this period so that such events are never repeated, he said.

Attacking the Congress, he alleged that the party continues to have an "Emergency mindset" and questioned why it is opposing the inclusion of the chapter.

Poonawalla said leaders such as Jayaprakash Narayan, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad Yadav had fought against the Emergency and alleged that it is ironic that many parties associated with them are now aligned with the Congress.

Teaching of emergency in school curriculum has been a subject of debate in previous years.

While there were complaints before that school textbooks are yet to reflect the full excesses of the Emergency, several passages about the dark period got pruned as late as 2023 under the BJP as part of a curriculum rationalisation exercise following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The deleted content included paras on controversies surrounding the decision to impose the Emergency, and the abuse of power and malpractices committed by the Indira Gandhi government.

In 2018, the then-HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar had alleged that the textbooks did not reflect the "whole story" of the Emergency in school curricula for students to understand the reality of the time.

"In our textbooks, there are some chapters and columns on the Emergency that will be reviewed and this black chapter and assault on democracy of the country will figure some more in the books..."

"We will include the whole story of Emergency in the curriculum. Children should know the..reality of that time. That is why the Emergency period is considered to be the second freedom struggle," he had said.

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.