ICSE Class 10 Social Science Syllabus 2025-26 - ICSE 10th Social Science Syllabus Download PDF

1. The Union Legislature

• Meaning of the federal setup in India.

(i) Lok Sabha - term, composition, qualifications for membership. Parliamentary procedures: a brief idea of sessions, quorum, question hour, adjournment and no-confidence motion. Speaker – election and functions.

(ii) 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, the composition of Electoral College, the reason for indirect election, term of office, the procedure for impeachment. Powers (executive, legislative, financial, judicial, discretionary and emergency)
• The Vice-President: Qualifications for election, 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. The distinction between the Council of Ministers and the Cabinet.

3. The Judiciary

• The Supreme Court:

Composition, qualifications of judges, appointment, independence of the 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 the Court of the District Judge and Sessions Court. Lok Adalats: meaning and advantages.

1. The Indian National Movement (1857-1917)

• The First War of Independence, 1857 Only the causes (political, socio-religious, economic and military) and consequences 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 (brief mention of the contribution of Raja Rammohan Roy and Jyotiba Phule) and role of the Press.

Foundation of the Indian National Congress - the Indian National Association (Surendranath Banerjee) and the East India Association (Dadabhai Naoroji) as precursors. 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. Brief mention of Surat Split of 1907; objectives and methods of struggle of the Radicals. Any two contributions of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal and Lala Lajpat Rai. The Muslim League; Factors leading to the formation of the Muslim League and its objectives. Brief mention of the significance of the Lucknow Pact - 1916

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 (reaction to the Simon Commission, Declaration of Poorna Swaraj at the Lahore Session of 1929), Dandi March, programme and impact of the Movement, Gandhi-Irwin Pact and the Second Round Table Conference; the Quit India Movement: causes (failure of the Cripps Mission, Japanese threat), Quit India Resolution and the significance of the Movement.
• Forward Bloc (objectives) and INA (objectives and contribution of Subhas Chandra Bose).
• 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, territorial rearrangements, formation of League of Nations).

• Rise of Dictatorships Causes for the rise of Fascism in Italy and the rise of Nazism in Germany. A comparative study of Mussolini’s Fascist and Hitler’s Nazi ideologies.
• 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 League of Nations and Hitler’s invasion of Poland). Brief mention of the attack on Pearl Harbour and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Consequences (Defeat of Axis Powers, Formation of the United Nations and Cold War).
• 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.

(ii) Major agencies of the United Nations: UNICEF, WHO and UNESCO - functions only.

• Non-Aligned Movement Brief meaning; objectives; Panchsheel; the role of Jawaharlal Nehru; Names of the architects of NAM.

(a) Locating features with the help of a four figure or a six-figure grid reference.

(b) Definition of contour and contour interval. Identification of landforms marked by

contours (steep slope, gentle slope, hill, valley, ridge / water divide, escarpment),

triangulated height, spot height, bench mark, relative height/ depth.

(c) Interpretation of colour tints and conventional symbols used on a topographical survey of

India map.

(d) Identification and definition of types of scale given on the map. Measuring distances and calculating area using the scale given therein.

(e) Marking directions between different locations, using eight cardinal points.

(f) Identify: Site of prominent villages and/or towns, types of land use / land cover and means of communication with the help of the index given at the bottom of the sheet.

(g) Identification of drainage (direction of flow and pattern) and settlement patterns.

(h) Identification of natural and man-made features.

On an outline map of India, candidates will be required to locate, mark and name the

following:

Mountains, Peaks and Plateaus: Himalayas, Karakoram, Aravali, Vindhyas, Satpura, Western and Eastern Ghats, Nilgiris, Garo, Khasi, Jaintia, Mount Godwin Austin (K2), Mount Kanchenjunga. Deccan Plateau, Chota Nagpur Plateau.

Plains: Gangetic Plains and Coastal plains – (Konkan, Kanara, Malabar, Coromandel, Northern Circars).

Desert: Thar (The Great Indian Desert)

Rivers: Indus, Ravi, Beas, Chenab, Jhelum, Satluj, Ganga, Yamuna, Ghaghra, Gomti, Gandak, Kosi, Chambal, Betwa, Son, Damodar, Brahmaputra, Narmada, Tapti,

Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Cauveri, Tungabhadra.

Water Bodies: Gulf of Kutch, Gulf of Khambhat, Gulf of Mannar, Palk Strait, Andaman Sea, Chilka Lake, Wular Lake.

Passes: Karakoram, Nathu-La Passes.

Latitude and Longitudes: Tropic of Cancer, Standard Meridian (82° 30’E).

Direction of Winds: South West Monsoons (Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal Branches), North East Monsoons and Western Disturbances.

Distribution of Minerals: Oil - Mumbai High (Offshore Oil Field) and Digboi. Iron – Singhbhum, Coal – Jharia.

Soil Distribution - Alluvial, Laterite, Black

and Red Soil.

Cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Chandigarh, Srinagar, Vishakhapatnam, Allahabad.

Population - Distribution of Population (Dense and sparse).

• Position and Extent of India. (through Map only).

• The physical features of India – mountains, plateaus, plains and rivers. (through Map only).

Distribution of Temperature, Rainfall, winds in Summer and Winter and factors affecting the climate of the area. Monsoon and its mechanism.

Seasons: March to May – Summer; June to September – Monsoon; October to November - Retreating Monsoon. December to February – Winter.

• Types of soil (alluvial, black, red and laterite) distribution, composition and characteristics such as colour, texture, minerals and crops associated.

• Soil Erosion – causes, prevention and conservation.

• Importance of forests.

• Types of vegetation (tropical evergreen, tropical deciduous, tropical desert, littoral and mountain), distribution and correlation with their environment.

• Forest conservation.

• Sources (Surface water and ground water).

• Need for conservation and conservation practices (Rain water harvesting and its importance).

• Irrigation: Importance and methods.

• Iron ore, Manganese, Copper, Bauxite – uses and their distribution.

• Conventional Sources: Coal, Petroleum, Natural gas (distribution, advantages and disadvantages).

• Hydel power (Bhakra Nangal Dam and Hirakud).

• Non-conventional Sources: Solar, wind, tidal, geo-thermal, nuclear and bio-gas (generation and advantages).

• Indian Agriculture – importance, problems and reforms.

• Types of farming in India: subsistence and commercial: shifting, intensive, extensive, plantation and mixed.

• Agricultural seasons (rabi, kharif, zayad).

• Climatic conditions, soil requirements, methods of cultivation, processing and

distribution of the following crops:

- rice, wheat, millets and pulses.

- sugarcane, oilseeds (groundnut, mustard and soya bean).

- cotton, jute, tea and coffee.

Importance and classification

• Agro based Industry - Sugar, Textile (Cotton and Silk).

• Mineral based Industry – Iron & Steel (TISCO, Bhilai, Rourkela, Vishakhapatnam) Petro Chemical and Electronics.

Importance and Modes – Roadways, Railways, Airways and Waterways –- Advantages and disadvantages.

• Impact of waste accumulation - spoilage of landscape, pollution, health hazards, effect on terrestrial, aquatic (fresh water and marine) life.

• Need for waste management.

• Methods of safe disposal -segregation, dumping and composting.

• Need and methods for reducing, reusing and recycling waste.

Subject Teacher (Internal Examiner)

10 marks

External Examiner

10 marks