The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has, for the first time, introduced the topic of the Emergency imposed from 1975 to 1977 in a Class 9 social science textbook titled "Understanding Society: India and Beyond". The section has been added to a chapter dealing with the strengths and challenges of democracy in the country. Until now, a detailed examination of the Emergency took place only in the Class 12 political science curriculum, which includes extracts on the political, constitutional and democratic implications of the period.
The textbook describes the Emergency as "one of the major challenges to democracy in India". It notes that in the early 1970s, public dissatisfaction with the government led by Indira Gandhi was growing, with rising unemployment, inflation and allegations of misgovernance leading to widespread protests. According to the text, most fundamental rights were suspended during the Emergency, the press was censored, and political leaders and activists were arrested.
The book highlights the role of socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan, popularly known as Lok Nayak, whose mass movements mobilised students and citizens, especially in Bihar and Gujarat. The Emergency was lifted in 1977 and general elections were held. The defeat of the Congress in the 1977 general election, the book says, showed the strength of Indian democracy. The Emergency was imposed by Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975, after the Allahabad High Court disqualified her from elected office for six years, and was lifted on March 21, 1977. The development came as the Emergency completed 51 years.