ICSE Class 10 History & Civics Syllabus 2026-27: Changes & Deleted Topics

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations has updated the ICSE Class 10 History & Civics syllabus for the 2026-27 academic session, aligning it with a stronger focus on conceptual clarity..

It covers key areas such as the Union Legislature, the Union Executive, the Judiciary, the Indian National Movement (1857-1947), and the Contemporary World (including the World Wars, United Nations and Non-Aligned Movement), to ensure a balanced mix of constitutional knowledge, civic responsibility and historical perspective.

ICSE Class 10 History & Civics Syllabus (2026-27)

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Overview of Class 10 ISCE History & Civics 

The ICSE Class 10 History & Civics Syllabus 2026-27, prescribed by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, is designed to build conceptual understanding of governance and key historical developments.

Major Highlights for ICSE 2026-27 H.C.G. Syllabus

Following are some major highlights of ICSE Syllabus class 10 History & Civics:

• 80 marks theory paper (2 hours) and 20 marks Internal Assessment
• Divided into Civics and History sections
• Strong emphasis on cause-effect relationships and chronological understanding in History
• Key focus on constitutional concepts, functions and powers in Civics
• No major changes in the chapters but a few additions in the sub-units have been seen 

Unit-wise Marks Distribution - Class 10 ICSE History & Civics

The table below showcases the bifurcation between Section A (Civics) and Section B (History) and clear marks distribution between theory and practical assessment.

Note: For ICSE Class 10 History & Civics syllabus 2026-27, no chapters have been officially deleted by CISCE. Only a few additions in the sub-topics are seen.

Sub-Units Covered Under the Chapters 

The chapters given in Class 10 ICSE History & Civics syllabus are further divided into sub-units and have seen some additions for the year 2026-27. The updated additions are mentioned clearly in the pointers below. 

SECTION A: CIVICS

1. The Union Legislature

• Meaning of the federal setup in India.
• ‍Lok Sabha - term, composition, qualifications for membership. Parliamentary procedures: a brief idea of sessions, quorum, question hour, <green>types of questions-meaning of starred, unstarred and short notice questions, zero hour, adjournment and no-confidence motion. Anti-Defection Law provisions, passing of ordinary and money bills.<green> Speaker - election, <green>removal<green>; and functions.

• Rajya Sabha - composition, qualifications for membership, election, term, Presiding Officer. Powers and functions of Union Parliament - (legislative, financial, judicial, electoral, amendment of the Constitution, control over executive). Exclusive powers of the two Houses.

2. The Union Executive

• The President: Qualifications for election, composition of Electoral College, reason for indirect election, term of office, procedure for impeachment. Powers (executive, legislative, financial, judicial, discretionary and emergency) - <green>any two effects of each emergency<green>.
• The Vice President: Qualifications for election, <green>removal<green>, term of office and powers.
• Prime Minister and Council of Ministers: Appointment, formation of Council of Ministers, tenure, functions - policy making, administrative, legislative, financial, emergency. Position and powers of the Prime Minister. Collective and individual responsibility of the members of the Cabinet. Distinction between the Council of Ministers and the Cabinet.

3. The Judiciary

• The Supreme Court: Composition, qualifications of judges, appointment, independence of judiciary from the control of executive and legislature; Jurisdiction and functions: Original, Appellate, Advisory, Revisory, Judicial Review and Court of Record. Enforcement of Fundamental Rights and Writs.
• The High Courts: Composition, qualifications of judges, appointment; Jurisdiction and functions: Original, Appellate, Revisory, Judicial Review and Court of Record. Enforcement of Fundamental Rights and Writs.
• Subordinate Courts: Distinction between Court of the District Judge and Sessions Court. Lok Adalats: meaning and advantages.

SECTION B: HISTORY

1. The Indian National Movement (1857 - 1917)

• The First War of Independence, 1857: Only the causes (political, socio-religious, economic and military) and consequences - (Only changes in the administration, Queen Victoria’s Proclamation, Relation with Princely states and Changes in the Army) will be tested. [The events, however, need to be mentioned in order to maintain continuity and for a more comprehensive understanding.]
• Factors leading to the growth of Nationalism - economic exploitation, repressive colonial policies, socio-religious reform movements <green>(any two contributions of Raja Rammohan Roy, Jyotiba Phule, Swami Dayananda Saraswathi and Swami Vivekananda)<green> and role of the Press. Foundation of the Indian National Congress - <green>the year of formation and name of the Founder<green>. Immediate objectives of the Indian National Congress - the first two sessions and their Presidents should be mentioned.
• First Phase of the Indian National Movement (1885-1907) - objectives and methods of struggle of the Early Nationalists. Any two contributions of Dadabhai Naoroji, Surendranath Banerjee and Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Second Phase of the Indian National Movement (1905-1916) - Brief mention of the causes of the Partition of Bengal and its perspective by the Nationalists. <green>Reasons for Surat Split of 1907;<green> objectives and methods of struggle of <green>Assertive Nationalists<green>. Two contributions of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal and Lala Lajpat Rai. The Muslim League; <green>Year of formation,<green> Factors leading to the formation of the Muslim League and its objectives. The Lucknow Pact - 1916. <green>Signatories of the Pact and its impact.<green>

2. Mass Phase of the National Movement (1915-1947)

• Mahatma Gandhi - Non-Cooperation Movement: causes (Khilafat Movement, Rowlatt Act, Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy), programme and suspension - Chauri Chaura incident and impact of the Movement; the Civil Disobedience Movement: causes <green>(reaction to the Simon Commission (clauses will not be tested) Declaration of Poorna Swaraj at the Lahore session of 1929)<green>, Dandi March, programme and impact of the Movement, Gandhi-Irwin Pact and the Second Round Table Conference; <green>Reason for renewal of the Civil Disobedience Movement<green> the Quit India Movement: causes (failure of the Cripps Mission (clauses will not be tested), Japanese threat), Quit India Resolution and the significance of the Movement.
• Forward Bloc (objectives) and INA <green>(name of the founder objectives and contribution of Subhas Chandra Bose)<green>.
• Independence and Partition of India - Cabinet Mission Plan (clauses only); Mountbatten Plan (clauses and its acceptance); and the Indian Independence Act of 1947 (clauses only).

3. The Contemporary World

• The First World War: Causes (Nationalism and Imperialism, Armament Race, division of Europe and Sarajevo crisis) and Results (Treaty of Versailles, formation of League of Nations, <green>Objectives of the League of Nations<green>).
• Rise of Dictatorships: Causes for the rise of Fascism in Italy and the rise of Nazism in Germany. Similarity between the ideologies of Fascism and Nazism.
• The Second World War: Causes (Dissatisfaction with the Treaty of Versailles, Rise of Fascism and Nazism, Policy of Appeasement, the Japanese invasion of China, Failure of the League of Nations and Hitler’s invasion of Poland). Brief mention of the attack on Pearl Harbour and bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Consequences (Defeat of Axis Powers, Formation of the United Nations and Cold War). <green>Cold War - meaning, NATO and WARSAW - (Only meaning)<green>.
• United Nations (i) The objectives of the U.N. The composition and functions of the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the International Court of Justice. Major agencies of the United Nations: UNICEF, WHO and UNESCO - <green>headquarters and functions only.<green> (ii) <green>Universal Declaration of Human Rights - (Only meaning)<green>
• Non-Aligned Movement: Brief meaning; objectives; <green>Panchsheel - only meaning, principles need to be taught only for understanding and not for testing;<green> role of Jawaharlal Nehru; Names of the architects of NAM.

INTERNAL ASSESSMENT

Any one project/ assignment related to the syllabus.

Suggested Assignments

• Compare the Parliamentary and Presidential forms of Government with reference to India and the U.S.A.
• Conduct a mock Court and record the proceedings.
• Present a life sketch and contributions of any one of the following Presidents of India - Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (or any other).
• Present a book review of any one of the following works: Dadabhai Naoroji’s ‘Poverty and un-British rule in India’, Gandhi’s ‘The Story of my Experiments with Truth’, Nehru’s ‘Discovery of India’, Bhagat Singh’s ‘Why I am an Atheist’, Vijayalakshmi Pandit’s ‘The Scope of Happiness: A Personal Memoir’, Abdul Kalam’s ‘Wings of Fire’ or any other relevant book.
• Discuss the relevance of any one of the following films to understand the history of 20th Century Europe: The Book Thief, Schindler’s List, Escape to Victory, The Boy in Striped Pyjamas, Life is Beautiful, The Sound of Music, Gandhi (Richard Attenborough), Sardar (Ketan Mehta), Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose - The Forgotten Hero (Shyam Benegal) or any other relevant book.
• Make an illustrative study of the life and work of Subhash Chandra Bose.
• <green>Make an illustrative study of the life and work of any three national leaders, between 1857 and 1914 and describe their contributions to the Nation.<green>
• Highlight the work and achievements of any one Nobel Laureate - Malala Yousafzai or Kailash Satyarthi.
• Make a presentation on the influence of Gandhian principles on Martin Luther King / Nelson Mandela.
• Prepare a report on the contributions of any one of the following agencies of the United Nations - UNESCO / WHO / UNICEF / ILO / UNDP / FAO.
• Present a case study of any recent human rights violations and redressal mechanisms available to prevent such instances in the future.

History & Civics ICSE Class 10: Deleted Chapters 

Class 10 Civics & History ICSE syllabus released by CISCE has no deletions of chapters officially and only a few additions in sub-topics are seen. 

How to Prepare Best for Class 10 ICSE Biology Syllabus 

Class 10 ICSE History & Civics require a slightly different approach compared to other subjects, as they involve a mix of understanding concepts and retaining factual details. The pointers below offer a well-structured strategy to help you prepare more effectively and score better in exams.

1. Understand Concepts in Civics Clearly

Civics is not about cramming - focus on understanding how the Indian government functions. Learn the roles, powers, and differences between bodies like the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary.

2. Focus on Cause-Effect in History

Most History questions revolve around causes, events, and consequences. Prepare each topic in this flow to write logical and complete answers.

3. Pay Attention to Key Personalities & Contributions

Chapters in the National Movement include many leaders. Focus on remembering at least 2-3 key contributions of each personality, as questions are often framed this way.

4. Master Important Terms & Keywords

Definitions and terms like federal setup, impeachment, writs, Cold War, and Non-Aligned Movement should be clear and precise, as they fetch direct marks.

5. Use Timelines and Flowcharts

Create timelines for movements and world events to improve retention and avoid confusion during revision.

6. Practice Structured Answer Writing

Write answers in points with proper headings. Include relevant keywords, dates, and examples to make answers more scoring.

7. Solve Previous Year Questions

Practice past papers to identify frequently asked questions and improve speed and accuracy.

8. Revise Regularly

History requires constant revision. Go through short notes, timelines, and key points multiple times to retain information.

9. Prepare Smartly for Internal Assessment

Choose a project topic that is easy to research and present. Use visuals, proper formatting, and clear explanations to score well.

10. Plan Your Attempt in the Exam

Attempt the sections carefully, then choose questions you are most confident about in the remaining sections to maximise marks.

FAQs 

Q1. Who prescribes the ICSE Class 10 History & Civics syllabus?

Ans. The syllabus is prescribed by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations.

Q2. Is there any change in the ICSE Class 10 History & Civics syllabus for 2026-27?

Ans. There are no major structural changes, but some minor additions in sub-topics and continued focus on historical and political learning have been observed.

Q3. How should I prepare for the History section effectively?

Ans. Focus on cause-effect relationships, timelines, and key events. Preparing answers in a logical sequence (causes, events, consequences) helps score better.

Q4. What type of questions are asked in the ICSE History & Civics paper?
Ans. The paper includes:

• Short answer questions
• Structured/descriptive questions
• Analytical and reasoning-based questions

Q5. Are sub-topics important in the ICSE History & Civics syllabus?

Ans. Yes, questions are often asked from specific sub-topics, so students should study the syllabus in detail rather than focusing only on chapter names.

Q6. Where can students download the ICSE Class 10 History & Civics Syllabus for 2026-27?

Ans. Students can download the official syllabus PDF from the CICSE website or through academic websites like Educart.