The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released Part 2 of the new Class 9 Social Science textbook, ‘Understanding Society: India and Beyond’, as part of the ongoing transition to the revised school curriculum.
The textbook is available for purchase from September 29, 2026, through NCERT's Publication Division, authorised vendors, its official website and Amazon.
What is changing in Class 9 Social Science?
The new textbook is part of NCERT's implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.
The revised Class 9 Social Science curriculum is being introduced in two parts, replacing the earlier structure in which students studied separate textbooks for History, Geography, Political Science and Economics.
Part 1 of Understanding Society: India and Beyond was released earlier this year. It includes chapters covering subjects such as understanding social science, the Earth's surface, climate, early societies and India's democratic system.
The new Part 2 completes the revised textbook set for Class 9 Social Science.
What does the new textbook cover?
NCERT's latest release announcement does not provide a detailed chapter-wise description of Part 2. However, the revised Class 9 Social Science curriculum has been designed around an integrated approach to the subject rather than treating History, Geography, Civics and Economics as entirely separate areas.
The first part of the new textbook also introduced contemporary themes alongside conventional social science content. For instance, the book includes the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls while explaining India's electoral system and democratic processes. It also discusses the 1975-77 Emergency under a chapter on challenges to democratic practices.
NCERT has said the revised textbooks are intended to support the learning needs of students under the new curricular approach.
Where can students get the book?
Students, teachers and schools can obtain the textbook through:
NCERT Publication Division sales counters
Authorised NCERT vendors
NCERT's official website
Amazon
NCERT has advised schools and students to use authorised channels while purchasing the new textbooks.
The Class 9 Social Science release follows the rollout of the revised Mathematics textbook, Ganita Manjari - Part 2, which became available earlier in September. Both are part of the phased introduction of new Class 9 learning material for the 2026-27 academic session.