NEW DELHI: The new NCERT Class 9 social science textbook traces India’s national motto, “Satyameva Jayate”, to the Mundaka Upanishad and the Supreme Court’s motto, “Yato Dharmastato Jayah”, to the Mahabharata, linking modern institutions to traditional ideas of governance.
The Sengol, installed in the new Parliament building in 2023, also features in the textbook, which describes it as a symbol of rulership and good governance and traces its tradition to the Chola period.
Titled Understanding Society: India and Beyond — Part 2, the book was released on Tuesday, six months after the new academic session began. The first part was released in June.
The chapter “Governance and Public Policy” explains that “Satyameva Jayate” means truth alone triumphs, while the Supreme Court’s motto conveys that victory lies where there is dharma, or righteous duty. It presents these mottos as expressions of institutional values and responsibilities towards good governance, rather than merely symbolic references.
The book discusses the Sengol’s place in the new Parliament alongside its historical association with righteous governance.
The chapter also describes Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of “Ram Rajya” as an ideal model of governance rooted in probity, transparency, compassion, welfare and a people-centric approach.
“Mahatma Gandhi visualised ‘Ram Rajya’ as an ideal model of governance, rooted in probity, transparency, compassion, welfare and people-centric orientation in governance and public policy. Gandhi’s views on Ram Rajya reflect the collective imagination of Indians from their distant past to the present day,” the textbook says.
It describes Ram Rajya, as represented in the Ramayana and the 16th-century Ramcharitmanas, as “one of the best examples of good governance and a good collective life”.
The chapter cites the Sanskrit saying “Prajasukhe sukham rajnah, prajanam cha hite hitam”, meaning that the ruler’s happiness lies in the happiness of the people and the ruler’s interest lies in their welfare.
Drawing on the Vedic tradition, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, it presents governance as a responsibility towards society rather than merely an exercise of power. These references form part of its discussion of Rajdharma, or the duties associated with righteous governance.
“Good governance was measured not only by the ruler’s authority but by the peace, prosperity, justice and well-being in society,” the book says.
The textbook also uses contemporary government policies to explain policymaking, implementation and coordination.
It describes the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 as an “excellent example of how public policy is developed through consultation, expert advice, and public participation”.
Tracing the process to 2015, it notes that an expert committee headed by scientist K. Kasturirangan was constituted in 2017 and that the draft policy was opened for public feedback.
According to the textbook, consultations covered 2.5 lakh gram panchayats, 6,600 blocks, 6,000 urban local bodies and 676 districts, yielding about two lakh suggestions.
“Several recommendations from citizens and institutions were incorporated before the final policy was prepared,” it says.
A section titled “Policy coordination: Key to good governance” discusses Khelo Bharat Niti 2025, explaining that its success depends on coordination among states, districts, local bodies, schools, coaches, families and athletes.
The book presents Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana as an example of protection for low-income households. It also mentions the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana and asks students to explore its benefits.
The six-chapter volume covers history, geography, political science and economics and forms part of the revision of Class 9 learning material under the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023 and NEP 2020.
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