"Most of the Class 9 textbooks are ready and are currently in the process of being printed. They will be released by April 10-15 at the latest," said NCERT Director Dinesh Saklani on Thursday (April 2).

However, he added that a few textbooks are still under review. "These are the ones on which there is a lot of discussion, and sometimes even controversy after release. We are trying to review them carefully so that any such controversies are minimised," he said.

Saklani was speaking during a webinar organised by CBSE to roll out the curriculum for the academic session 2026-27 for Classes 9 and 10.

'Books will be out soon': CBSE

Speaking at the same event, CBSE Chairperson Rahul Singh also said that while delays had occurred earlier, the situation has now stabilised.

The remarks come amid recent scrutiny over NCERT textbooks, particularly after a Class 8 Social Science book was withdrawn following Supreme Court intervention, after it made a reference to "corruption in the judiciary".

"Textbooks for Class 9 are being readied. They are almost ready for implementation and will go out very soon. We are all aware of the context in which these delays have taken place. There are apprehensions, but I must assure you that books will be available very soon and we can start with classroom transactions in the meantime," Singh added.

Session begins, but books not yet available

The statements come as the new academic session began on April 1, even as many schools across the country are yet to receive the revised Class 9 textbooks.

Schools have been relying on draft syllabi and supplementary material in the interim, with educators raising concerns about conducting classes without structured textbooks.

The new textbooks are being developed in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023, and were earlier expected to be released by March 2026.

With textbooks expected by mid-April, schools are likely to begin the session using interim material before transitioning to the revised books once they are made available.