NCERT Launches ‘Kaveri’ as New Class 9 English Textbook with Focus on Indian Writers

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has introduced a new Class 9 English textbook titled Kaveri, bringing a stronger focus on Indian authors and the integration of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS). The textbook has been developed in line with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023 (NCF-SE 2023) and will replace the earlier English textbooks Beehive and Moments.

Unlike the previous curriculum used between 2006–07 and 2025–26 — which featured 29 texts with a larger share of international authors — the new book contains 16 carefully selected pieces that give equal space to Indian and global writers. Of the 16 texts included, eight are written by Indian authors.

The Indian contributors featured in the anthology include renowned figures such as poet Subramania Bharati, author Sudha Murty, Naga writer Temsula Ao, Assamese novelist Mitra Phukan, and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. The book begins with a story from Murty’s 2004 collection How I Taught My Grandmother to Read and Other Stories.

The international section features works by American poet David Roth, English poet Charles Swain, children’s author Bryanna T. Perkins, poet Robert Langley, writer Maya Anthony, and Singapore-based author Irene Chua. The compilation also includes an anonymous poem titled Gifts of Grace: Honouring Our Vocations and a feature based on an interview with Paralympic champion Deepa Malik, highlighting her journey and achievements.

According to officials, the revision also reduces the number of textbooks for the subject from two to one, while streamlining the syllabus by cutting the total number of texts from 29 to 16. The move aims to make the curriculum more balanced and manageable while ensuring equal representation of Indian and international literary voices.

Source: PTI