The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has introduced a new Class 9 English textbook that highlights literary voices from across India, including prominent writers from the Northeast. Works by Naga author Temsula Ao and Assamese writer Mitra Phukan feature in the revised volume, marking a significant inclusion of regional literature in the national curriculum.
The textbook, titled Kaveri, has been prepared under the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023. It replaces the earlier Class 9 English books Beehive and Moments, which were in use for nearly two decades. Officials said the new syllabus has been streamlined, reducing the number of texts from 29 to 16 and consolidating the course into a single textbook.
Eight of the selected works are by Indian authors, including Subramania Bharati, Sudha Murty, Temsula Ao, Mitra Phukan and Rabindranath Tagore. The remaining six are by international writers such as American poet David Roth, English poet Charles Swain, children’s author Bryanna T Perkins, poet Robert Langley, Maya Anthony, and Singapore-based writer Irene Chua.
The book opens with a story from Sudha Murty’s 2004 collection How I Taught My Grandmother to Read and Other Stories. It also incorporates elements of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), reflecting the revised curriculum’s emphasis on cultural heritage.
Beyond literary texts, Kaveri includes an anonymous poem titled Gifts of Grace: Honouring Our Vocations and an interview-based piece, The World of Limitless Possibilities, featuring Paralympic athlete Deepa Malik.
Officials noted that the new textbook aims to balance global perspectives with Indian voices, while ensuring students engage with fewer but more meaningful texts.
