NCERT guide · 2026–27
NCERT Class 9 new books explained: Ganita Manjari, Exploration, Kaveri and more
What each new NCERT Class 9 book covers in 2026–27, how many chapters it has, and what CBSE has changed around it, from Maths Advanced to the three-language rule.
At a glance
- In use from 2026–27 session
- Maths Ganita Manjari: Part I, 8 chapters; Part II, 6 chapters
- Science Exploration: 13 chapters
- English Kaveri: 8 units, each a prose piece and a poem
- Social Science Understanding Society: India and Beyond, Part I: 9 chapters
- New option Maths and Science at Advanced level (optional)
Quick answer
The NCERT Class 9 new books for 2026–27 are Ganita Manjari (Maths, Parts I and II, 14 chapters), Exploration (Science, 13), Kaveri (English, 8 units), Understanding Society: India and Beyond (Social Science, Part I, 9), Ganga (Hindi), Sharada and Risikulya (Sanskrit), Jamuna (Urdu), Khel Praveen, Kaushal Vikas and Madhurima.
What are the NCERT Class 9 new books for 2026–27?
The NCERT Class 9 new books cover every main subject in 2026–27. NCERT’s advisory of 17 March 2026 said the new Grade 9 books, written in line with NCF-SE 2023, would be used from the 2026–27 session. By 15 June, NCERT said more than 90 lakh Grade 9 textbooks had been published, with only Social Science still to come; Social Science Part 1 was first published in June 2026.
| Subject | Book | Chapters | First edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Ganita Manjari (Part I; Part II) | 8; 6 | April 2026; August 2026 |
| Science | Exploration | 13 | April 2026 |
| English | Kaveri | 8 units (prose and poem) | January 2026 |
| Social Science | Understanding Society: India and Beyond (Part I) | 9 | June 2026 |
| Hindi | Ganga | 12 lessons | March 2026 |
| Sanskrit | Sharada | 11 lessons and 5 grammar appendices | April 2026 |
| Sanskrit (R2) | Risikulya | 10 lessons | August 2026 |
| Urdu | Jamuna | 15 lessons | March 2026 |
| Physical Education and Well-being | Khel Praveen | 23 chapters in 6 units | April 2026 |
| Skill Education | Kaushal Vikas | 12 chapters in 3 units | April 2026 |
| Arts | Madhurima | 17 chapters | April 2026 |
NCERT’s Class 9 list also includes Anveshan, the science textbook in Hindi, and ten vocational titles such as Cashier and Plumber General. There is no NCERT book yet for Individuals in Society, a new Class IX area that CBSE says will start as and when NCERT textbooks become available. All chapter PDFs are on our Class 9 NCERT books page.
What is new in Ganita Manjari, the Class 9 maths book?
Ganita Manjari is designed to move students from Middle Stage maths towards formal reasoning and, in NCERT’s words, the beginnings of proof. Part I’s eight chapters are: Orienting Yourself: The Use of Coordinates; Introduction to Linear Polynomials; The World of Numbers; Exploring Algebraic Identities; I’m Up and Down, and Round and Round (circles); Measuring Space: Perimeter and Area; The Mathematics of Maybe: Introduction to Probability; and Predicting What Comes Next: Exploring Sequences and Progressions. Part II (first edition August 2026) adds Propositions and their Converses; How Quantities Combine: Understanding Data; The World of Algorithms; Quadrilaterals; Two Variables, One Line; and Math of Space: Surface Area and Volume.
Three features stand out. The book uses a Low Threshold–High Ceiling approach, meant to keep tasks open to every learner while leaving room for deeper exploration. Questions and sections marked with an asterisk are enrichment and are not to be assessed or included in examinations. QR codes link to extra learning resources.
| Unit | Chapters in CBSE’s course | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Number System | Number System | 7 |
| Algebra | Introduction to Polynomials; Sequences and Progressions; Exploring Algebraic Identities; Linear Equations in Two Variables | 20 |
| Coordinate Geometry | Coordinate Geometry | 4 |
| Geometry | Euclid’s Geometry; Lines and Angles; Triangles; Quadrilaterals; Circles | 25 |
| Mensuration | Area and Perimeter; Surface Area and Volume | 14 |
| Statistics and Probability | Statistics; Introduction to Probability | 10 |
The other 20 marks are internal: tests and multiple assessment (10), a portfolio (5) and lab activities (5). Part II covers Linear Equations in Two Variables, Quadrilaterals, Surface Area and Volume, and Statistics, and NCERT says Lines and Angles and similar topics are taught inside its chapters rather than removed. Chapter PDFs: Class 9 Mathematics.
Is there an Advanced level for Class 9 Maths and Science?
Yes, as an option. From 2026–27, CBSE offers Mathematics and Science at two levels in Class IX. Every student studies the standard course and sits its 80-mark annual exam; students who choose the Advanced level also take an extra 25-mark, one-hour paper set at a higher level.
In Class X, the Advanced papers become Board papers from 2027–28, made up entirely of higher-order thinking questions. A student who scores 50% or more gets a note on the marksheet that the Advanced Level has been cleared, but the Advanced marks are not added to the total. CBSE has published its own Advanced material: six chapters for Maths, from Sets and Logarithms to Combinatorics, and ten for Science, from Measurement to Biotechnology.
Separately, CBSE is discontinuing the Basic and Standard Mathematics exams from 2026–27. Only students who are in Class X this year can still opt for Mathematics Basic.
What does the new Class 9 science book, Exploration, cover?
Exploration teaches Science as one integrated subject, drawing together biology, chemistry, physics and earth science across 13 chapters. It opens with a chapter on how secondary science works and ends with ‘Earth as a System: Energy, Matter, and Life’. Recurring boxes include Think It Over, Pause and Ponder, Think as a Scientist and India’s Scientific Contributions.
| Unit | Exploration chapters | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| World of Living | 2 Cell; 3 Tissues in Action; 11 Reproduction; 12 Patterns in Life | 27 |
| Matter: Its Nature and Behaviour | 5 Mixtures and their Separation; 8 Journey Inside the Atom; 9 Atomic Foundations of Matter | 25 |
| Motion, Force, Work and Sound | 4 Describing Motion; 6 How Forces Affect Motion; 7 Work, Energy, and Simple Machines; 10 Sound Waves | 23 |
| Earth as a System | 13 Earth as a System | 5 |
Chapter 1 does not appear in any exam unit. The remaining 20 marks are internal, with 5 each for periodic assessment, multiple assessment, portfolio and practical work. Chapter PDFs: Class 9 Science.
What changes in Class 9 English with Kaveri?
Kaveri has eight units, and each pairs a prose piece with a poem on a shared theme, from ‘How I Taught My Grandmother to Read’ to ‘Follow That Dream’. Every unit opens with ‘Reflect and Respond’, and the book includes Reading for Meaning, Critical Reflection, vocabulary work, and speaking, listening and writing tasks.
CBSE has also simplified the English choice. From Class IX in 2026–27 there is a single course, English, and the separate Communicative English course has been discontinued; Kaveri is used whether your child takes English at R1 or R2 level. Students in Class X this year who chose Communicative English in Class IX continue with it. Chapter PDFs: Class 9 English.
What is in the new Class 9 Social Science book?
Understanding Society: India and Beyond brings History, Geography, Political Science and Economics into one book, whereas Class 10 still uses four separate NCERT books. Part I has nine chapters: Understanding Social Science; Shaping of the Earth’s Surface; Atmosphere and Climate; Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation; State and Society up to 1000 CE; Democracy; Elections; Building Blocks in Economics: The Problem of Choice; and The Price Puzzle: What Drives the Market.
CBSE prescribes a Part 1 and a Part 2 for Class IX. Its outline for Part 2 includes themes such as Oceans and Life and Smart Ways to Manage Your Finances, and it says the full course structure will be provided shortly. NCERT has also warned that a fake copy of Part 1 was circulating online, so use the official PDF. Chapter PDFs: Class 9 Social Science.
Which Hindi, Sanskrit and Urdu books does Class 9 use?
Ganga (Hindi) has 12 lessons, seven in prose and five in poetry, plus two pieces to read alongside. Sanskrit has two books: Sharada, the Class 9 Sanskrit textbook, with 11 lessons and five grammar appendices, and Risikulya, which NCERT labels as Sanskrit learning material for R2, with 10 lessons. Jamuna (Urdu) has 15 lessons, from short stories and letters to ghazals and nazms. CBSE allows NCERT’s Hindi and Urdu books at both R1 and R2 level.
A third language (R3) is also new for Class IX in 2026–27. CBSE assesses it only in school, out of 100 marks, with no Board exam when this batch reaches Class X, although students must clear it for the Class X pass certificate. For families in Bahrain, CBSE’s July 2026 guidelines give all CBSE schools outside India full exemption from a native Indian language as R3, so ask your school how it applies this. Chapter PDFs: Class 9 Hindi and Class 9 Sanskrit.
What are Khel Praveen, Kaushal Vikas and Madhurima?
They are the Class 9 books for Physical Education and Well-being, Skill Education and Arts. Khel Praveen has 23 chapters in six units, from the history of physical education to Olympism, sports for all and yoga. Kaushal Vikas has three units: Work with Life Forms, Work with Machines and Materials, and Work in Human Services. In each unit one chapter is mandatory and students select one of three others. Madhurima has 17 chapters on the history of arts, theatre, music, dance and visual arts.
FAQ
Questions parents ask
How many chapters are in Ganita Manjari?
Fourteen, in two parts. Part I has eight chapters, from coordinates and linear polynomials to probability and sequences. Part II, published on NCERT’s website at the end of September 2026, has six more, from Propositions and their Converses to Surface Area and Volume.
Is Communicative English still offered in Class 9?
No. CBSE discontinued the English Communicative course from Class IX in 2026–27 and now has a single English course, taught from the NCERT book Kaveri at both R1 and R2 level. Students who took Communicative English in Class IX last year can continue with it in Class X during 2026–27.
Is the Advanced level in Maths and Science compulsory?
No. The standard Mathematics and Science courses are compulsory for everyone. Mathematics Advanced and Science Advanced are optional extra papers of 25 marks and one hour each. In Class X they become Board papers from 2027–28, and the Advanced marks are not added to a student’s overall total.
Do Class 10 students in 2026–27 use the new books?
No. NCERT’s advisory says the existing textbooks for Grades 10 and 11 continue in 2026–27 and new Class 10 books arrive from 2027–28. This year’s Class 10 students keep First Flight, Footprints Without Feet and the existing Mathematics and Science books, while today’s Class 9 students are due to move on to the new Class 10 books.
Do CBSE schools in Bahrain have to teach a third Indian language in Class 9?
CBSE’s guidelines of 10 July 2026 list schools outside India among the exempted categories, with full exemption from a native Indian language as the third language (R3). CBSE’s curriculum also lets schools abroad offer one native Indian language instead of two. How this works in practice depends on your child’s school, so ask it directly.
Where can I download the new Class 9 NCERT books?
Download them from NCERT’s textbook page on ncert.nic.in, or from ePathshala and DIKSHA, which NCERT names as official sources of its free digital textbooks. NCERT has warned that a fake copy of the Class 9 Social Science Part 1 circulated on social media and messaging groups, so avoid PDFs shared through unofficial channels.
Sources
Official documents used for this article, checked on 24 September 2026. CBSE and NCERT can update them during the year, so confirm important dates and rules on cbse.gov.in or cbseacademic.nic.in before acting.
- NCERT: Textbooks PDF (Class 9 list)
- NCERT Advisory on Introduction of New Textbooks and Syllabi, 17 March 2026
- NCERT press release, 15 June 2026 (Grade 9 books in nine subjects)
- NCERT press release: caution against fake textbooks, 24 June 2026
- NCERT press release on availability of Grade 9 books, 1 May 2026
- Ganita Manjari (Part I), prelims
- Ganita Manjari (Part II), prelims
- Exploration, prelims
- Kaveri, prelims
- Understanding Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), prelims
- Ganga, prelims
- Sharada, prelims
- Risikulya (R2), prelims
- Jamuna, prelims
- Khel Praveen, prelims
- Kaushal Vikas, prelims
- Madhurima, prelims
- Anveshan, prelims
- CBSE Secondary Curriculum 2026–27, Part 1 (Introduction and Scheme of Studies)
- CBSE Class IX Mathematics 2026–27
- CBSE Mathematics at Advanced Level (Optional), Grade 9, 2026–27
- CBSE Class IX Science 2026–27
- CBSE Science at Advanced Level (Optional), Grade 9, 2026–27
- CBSE Class IX Social Science 2026–27
- CBSE Notification: Response to Queries on Languages at Class IX–X, 9 April 2026
- CBSE Circular Acad-46/2026: R3 Language Assessment Framework, Class IX
- CBSE Circular Acad-49/2026: Three-Language Scheme guidelines
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