Telangana plans to adopt CBSE Syllabus for non-language subjects

In a major move that could reshape the entire schooling in the State, the Education department plans to junk its curriculum and switch over to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) syllabus, which follows National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks.

As per the department sources, the proposal is to adopt CBSE syllabus for mathematics and science, which are non-language subjects, across all grades. However, social science subjects will follow a hybrid model. While 70 per cent of the social sciences syllabus will be drawn from the CBSE, the remaining 30 per cent will be developed locally to reflect the State’s history, geography, culture and traditions.

The plan, as per the official sources, is aimed at aligning State school textbooks with national academic standards, besides easing mobility for students who move between States. Furthermore, the officials say that the move will benefit students appearing for national-level competitive exams like JEE, NEET UG and UPSC Civil Services, which are conducted based on the NCERT textbooks.

The move was recently discussed during a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy with



Education department officials. However, a top bureaucrat who attended the meeting suggested putting the plan on hold as the report of the committee constituted for framing the Telangana Education Policy is awaited.

“Several States have already adopted the CBSE syllabus, which helps students better prepare for the national-level entrance exams. The plan is to adopt the CBSE syllabus for non-language subjects for all classes. Instead of changing syllabus one class per academic year as is being done now, we can change syllabi of Classes I to X in a single go. We can take content from the CBSE and print the same except for the cover, which will be localised,” said a senior bureaucrat who attended the meeting.

Even if the State government gives its nod, the new textbooks will be introduced during the academic year 2027-28 as the textbooks for the academic year 2026-27 have already been finalised and tenders have been floated for printing them.

The school textbooks were last revised in 2015. An attempt was made to revise the syllabus, aligning it with the National Curriculum Framework 2023, for the academic year 2025-26. However, the government did not approve the move.