Theater, music, and visual arts now part of Class 8 curriculum: NCERT

Starting from the 2025–2026 academic session, students in Class 8 across India will begin studying theater, music, drama, and visual arts as part of a new educational initiative announced by the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT).

The move aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.

In a post on X, NCERT said, "Art will be introduced as a compulsory subject, meaning whether or not students opt for the subject, they will have to pass the subject to move on to the next class."

To facilitate the rollout of this new curriculum, NCERT has introduced a dedicated art textbook titled "Kriti," which will be part of the Class 8 syllabus beginning next year.

Alongside "Kriti," NCERT has also unveiled new textbooks for both Class 8 and Class 5.

For Class 8, the revised English textbook "Poorvi" and the Hindi textbook "Malhar" have been introduced.

Class 5 students will receive "Santoor" and "Veena" as their new English and Hindi textbooks, respectively.

This curriculum update is part of a broader effort to integrate arts education into mainstream academics, promoting creativity and holistic development among schoolchildren.