CBSE Class 10 Social Science Syllabus 2026-27 — History, Geography, Political Science, Economics & Two Board Exams

What's New in 2026-27?

• Two Board Exams policy: Mandatory first exam + optional improvement exam. Higher score counts for final result.
• Continuity from 2025-26: The Class 10 Social Science syllabus remains stable with the same four sub-sections and chapter list.
• Map work remains important: Geography map work carries dedicated marks. History and Political Science may include map-based MCQs.
• Source-based questions enhanced: More emphasis on analysing historical sources, data tables, political cartoons, and economic case studies.

Syllabus Overview — Marks Distribution

Subject	Chapters for Board Exam	Marks
History — India and the Contemporary World II	5 chapters	20
Geography — Contemporary India II	5 out of 7 chapters (2 only for IA)	20
Political Science — Democratic Politics II	4 chapters	20
Economics — Understanding Economic Development	4 chapters	20
Total Theory		80
Internal Assessment	Periodic Tests, Portfolio, Projects	20
Grand Total		100

Chapter-wise Syllabus

History — India and the Contemporary World II

Ch.	Chapter Name	Key Topics
1	The Rise of Nationalism in Europe	French Revolution's legacy, liberalism, nationalism. Giuseppe Mazzini, Otto von Bismarck, Garibaldi. Unification of Germany and Italy. Romantic imagination and national feeling. Balkan crisis.
2	Nationalism in India	First World War and Indian nationalism. Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movement. Salt March and Civil Disobedience. Sense of collective belonging. Different strands of nationalism. Gandhian era.
3	The Making of a Global World	Pre-modern world trade. 19th century global economy. Colonialism and forced integration. The Great Depression. Post-war world. Bretton Woods institutions (IMF, World Bank).
4	The Age of Industrialisation	Before the Industrial Revolution. Hand labour and steam power. Industrialisation in colonies (India). Factories and urban life. Market for goods. Peculiarities of Indian industrial growth.
5	Print Culture and the Modern World	First printed books. Print comes to Europe (Gutenberg). Print revolution and its impact. Print culture and the French Revolution. Print in India — newspapers, novels, censorship.

Geography — Contemporary India II

Ch.	Chapter Name	Status	Key Topics
1	Resources and Development	Board Exam	Types of resources. Development of resources. Resource planning. Land resources. Land use pattern. Land degradation and conservation. Soil types and soil erosion.
2	Forest and Wildlife Resources	IA Only	Biodiversity, deforestation, conservation. Not for board exam.
3	Water Resources	IA Only	Water scarcity, dams, rainwater harvesting. Not for board exam.
4	Agriculture	Board Exam	Types of farming. Cropping pattern. Major crops (rice, wheat, millets, maize, cotton, jute, sugarcane, tea, coffee, rubber). Technological and institutional reforms. Food security.
5	Minerals and Energy Resources	Board Exam	Types of minerals. Occurrence. Ferrous, non-ferrous, non-metallic minerals. Conservation. Energy resources: conventional (coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydro) and non-conventional (solar, wind, biogas, nuclear, geothermal, tidal).
6	Manufacturing Industries	Board Exam	Importance of manufacturing. Industrial location factors. Classification of industries. Agro-based, mineral-based, industrial clusters. Environmental degradation and solutions.
7	Lifelines of National Economy	Board Exam	Transport: roadways, railways, pipelines, waterways, airways. Communication. International trade. Tourism as a trade.

Political Science — Democratic Politics II

Ch.	Chapter Name	Key Topics
1	Power-sharing	Belgium and Sri Lanka models. Why power-sharing is desirable. Forms: horizontal (legislature, executive, judiciary), vertical (central, state, local), among social groups, among political parties and pressure groups.
2	Federalism	What is federalism? What makes India a federal country? Linguistic states. Decentralisation in India. Panchayati Raj. Municipal bodies. 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments.
3	Gender, Religion and Caste	Gender and politics. Religion, communalism, and politics. Caste and politics. Caste in politics vs politics in caste. Positive and negative role of caste in democracy.
4	Outcomes of Democracy	How do we assess democracy's outcomes? Accountable, responsive, legitimate government. Economic growth and development. Reduction of inequality and poverty. Accommodation of social diversity. Dignity and freedom of citizens.

Economics — Understanding Economic Development

Ch.	Chapter Name	Key Topics
1	Development	What is development? Different people, different goals. Income and other criteria. National development. Per capita income, IMR, literacy rate, HDI. Sustainability.
2	Sectors of the Indian Economy	Primary, secondary, tertiary sectors. GDP calculation. Historical shifts between sectors. Organised vs unorganised sector. Public vs private sector. MGNREGA.
3	Money and Credit	Money as medium of exchange. Modern forms of money. Demand deposits. Formal and informal credit. Banks and cooperatives. SHGs (Self-Help Groups). Terms of credit.
4	Globalisation and the Indian Economy	What is globalisation? MNCs and foreign trade. Factors enabling globalisation. WTO. Impact on India — positive and negative. Fair globalisation.

New Two Board Exams Policy (2026-27 Onwards)

Starting from the 2026-27 session, CBSE Class 10 students will have the option to appear for two board examinations instead of one. This is a significant policy change under NEP 2020.

• First Board Exam (February-March 2027): This is MANDATORY for all students. It covers the full syllabus and follows the standard 80+20 marks pattern (80 marks theory + 20 marks internal assessment).
• Second Board Exam (May 2027): This is OPTIONAL and available as an improvement opportunity. Students who are unsatisfied with their first exam performance can re-appear to improve their scores.
• Best Score Counts: If a student appears for both exams, the higher score of the two will be considered for the final result and certificate.
• No Penalty for Not Appearing: There is no negative consequence for choosing not to appear for the second exam. It is purely an improvement opportunity.
• Same Syllabus: Both exams cover the same syllabus — there is no reduction or change in scope for the second exam.

This policy aims to reduce exam anxiety and give students a fair chance to demonstrate their best performance. It is especially beneficial for students who face health issues, personal difficulties, or exam-day nervousness during the first attempt.

Map Work — Important Locations

History Maps

• Places associated with Indian National Movement: Champaran, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Chauri Chaura, Dandi, Jallianwala Bagh
• European nationalism: Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Britain, France

Geography Maps

• Soils: Alluvial, Black, Red, Laterite regions
• Minerals: Iron ore (Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka), Mica (Jharkhand, Bihar, Rajasthan), Coal (Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha)
• Dams: Salal, Bhakra Nangal, Tehri, Rana Pratap Sagar, Sardar Sarovar, Hirakud, Nagarjuna Sagar, Tungabhadra
• Transport: Golden Quadrilateral, North-South and East-West corridors, major ports

Exam Pattern 2026-27

Question Type	Number of Questions	Marks per Question	Total Marks
MCQ (Section A)	20	1	20
Short Answer (Section B)	5	2	10
Short Answer (Section C)	6	3	18
Long Answer (Section D)	4	5	20
Map + Case-based (Section E)	3	4	12
Total			80

Preparation Tips

1. History: Make timelines for each chapter: Nationalism in India covers 1915-1947 with dozens of events. A visual timeline helps you remember chronology, which is tested in MCQs and short answers.
2. Geography: Practise maps every week: Mark all locations listed above on outline maps. Map questions are easy marks — don't lose them due to lack of practice.
3. Political Science: Learn with comparison tables: Belgium vs Sri Lanka, Federal vs Unitary, Horizontal vs Vertical power-sharing. Tables make it easier to answer MCQs and short answers.
4. Economics: Understand concepts with examples: GDP, per capita income, HDI, formal vs informal credit — learn each concept with a real-world example. CBSE loves application-based questions in Economics.
5. Source-based questions practice: Practise reading historical sources, political cartoons, data tables, and graphs. Identify the main argument, time period, and relevance.
6. Don't skip the two IA-only Geography chapters: While Forest and Wildlife and Water Resources are not in the board exam, they may appear in internal assessment. Read them for your periodic tests.

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Prepared by Bright Tutorials, Nashik (Shop No. 53-57, Business Signature, Hariom Nagar, Nashik Road, Nashik 422101) | brighttutorials.in | This syllabus guide is based on the official CBSE curriculum for 2026-27. Students should refer to the latest CBSE circulars for any updates. For personal study use only.