ICSE Class 9 Syllabus 2028 Environmental Science

ICSE
INDIAN CERTIFICATE OF
SECONDARY EDUCATION
EXAMINATION
YEAR 2028

ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCE
(82)

Developed by:
Research, Development and Curriculum Division (RDCD)
CISCE

January 2026
____________________________________________________________________________________________

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MISSION STATEMENT

The Council for the Indian School Certificate
Examinations is committed to serving the nation's
children, through high quality educational
endeavours, empowering them to contribute towards
a humane, just and pluralistic society, promoting
introspective living, by creating exciting learning
opportunities, with a commitment to excellence.

ETHOS OF CISCE

Trust and fair play.
Minimum monitoring.
Allowing schools to evolve their own niche.
Catering to the needs of the children.
Giving freedom to experiment with new ideas
and practices.
Diversity and plurality - the basic strength for
evolution of ideas.
Schools to motivate pupils towards the
cultivation of:
Excellence - The Indian and Global
experience.
Values - Spiritual and cultural - to be the bedrock
of the educational experience.
Schools to have an 'Indian Ethos', strong roots in
the national psyche and be sensitive to national
aspirations.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (82)

Candidates offering Environmental Applications (Group III) are not eligible to offer
Environmental Science (Group II).

Aims:
1. Create a strong foundation of environmental literacy which includes understanding the interlinkages
between ecological, social and economic factors.
2. Understand the impacts of modern human activities on the natural environment and how they contribute
to the triple planetary crisis.
3. Understand the connections between the underlying causes of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity
loss and ways to address them.
4. Promote environmental stewardship inspired by ancient Indian traditions, constitutional values, and
scientific research and innovation.
5. Foster empathy, civic responsibility, and active participation in environmental advocacy and environment
conservation at local, national, and global levels.
6. Equip individuals with an action-oriented mindset, skills and collaborative solutions that ensure harmony
between society and nature.

CLASS IX
There will be one paper of two hours duration carrying 80 marks and Internal Assessment of 20 marks.

1. Our Planet Earth
(i) Introduction: Overview of the environment around us.
● Our Earth and its environment, interactions between biotic and abiotic components, and life on Earth.
● Earth’s components (hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, cryosphere and biosphere) and their
interactions, with illustrative examples.
● Human-environment interconnection:
− Humans as a part of the environment (and not at the top of it).
− Two-way complex interconnections - humans affect the environment and get affected.
− Need for education on the environment and essential learnings.
(ii) Natural processes and cycles.
● Biological processes (photosynthesis, decomposition, adaptation, evolution, coevolution, coexistence,
extinction).
● Biogeochemical cycles - carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and water cycle and their importance.

2. Diversity of Life
(i) Biodiversity.
● Definition, classification (genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity), fascinating facts about
biodiversity with pictures.
● Species diversity and its role in supporting a healthy ecosystem, indicator species, key stone species.
● Interdependence of species: trophic levels, food chains, food webs; species interactions (predation,
competition, parasitism, mutualism, commensalism and amensalism with examples), web of life and
complex interconnections.

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(ii) Ecosystems, their functions, services, carrying capacity and threshold level.
● Concept, hierarchy of ecology (organisms, species, populations, communities, ecosystems, biome,
biosphere); habitat and ecological niche (to be explained with examples), ecological disturbance and
threats.
● Types of ecosystems, characteristic features, interconnections with humans, and threats to a few
ecosystems:
− Forests (tropical, temperate and taiga forests, threats to tropical rainforests).
− Grasslands (tropical savannas, temperate grasslands like prairies, steppes and pampas; threats
to tropical grasslands).
− Deserts and tundra.
− Freshwater ecosystems (lakes, ponds and rivers, threats to freshwater ecosystems).
− Coastal and marine ecosystems (estuaries, mangroves, coral reefs and ocean ecosystems and
threats to coastal ecosystems).
● Ecosystem Functions and Services:
− Ecosystem functions: primary production, nutrient cycling, decomposition, homeostasis, and
ecological balance. Characteristics of a healthy and stable ecosystem.
− Ecosystem services: provisioning services, regulating services, supporting services, cultural services,
with examples and economic benefits.
● Carrying capacity and threshold level with examples.

3. India’s Environmental Heritage
(i) India’s bio-cultural diversity.
● Biodiversity hotspots of India, flagship species with fascinating facts and pictures.
● Cultural connections with climate and biodiversity (lifestyle, housing, agriculture, livelihood,
economy, traditional practices, festivals like harvest festivals, celebrating biodiversity and reverence
to elements of nature, etc.).
(ii) Agricultural diversity.
● Domesticated biodiversity: India’s diversity of native crops, livestock, including poultry, and other
domesticated animals, with examples. Role in local livelihood, economy and ecosystem resilience.
● Traditional agricultural practices in India and their role in food and nutrition security and ecological
conservation. (Examples provided in resource material).
(iii) Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) and practices: Definition and benefits from the products.
● Ayurveda, yoga, town planning, medicinal plants, traditional crops like millets, traditional rice
varieties, spices, etc., food and nutrition, health and wellness, conservation practices for water,
weather prediction, resource use-efficiency, etc., with local examples.
● Relationship between traditional knowledge/wisdom and sustainable economy. (Just a brief idea, not
in detail).
(Examples provided in the resource material).

4. Need to Greed: The Trajectory of Human Development
(i) Human development - historical perspective.
• Shift in human-environment dynamics from necessities to overexploitation of natural resources (to be
studied with reference to developed nations), Ecology vs Economy.
• Population growth - Rapid population growth, technological advancements, trend of population
growth and resource-use (to be studied with reference to the case study provided in the resource
material).
(ii) Industrialisation and urbanisation.
● Industrial revolution, production economy, mining, resource exploitation, consumerist lifestyles
● Urbanisation- causes, challenges and trends of land use change.

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(both to be studied with reference to the case studies provided in the resource material)
(iii) Modern agricultural practices.
● Intensive agriculture based on yield and production (both crops and livestock), use of pesticides and
chemical fertilisers, mono-culture, cash crops.
● Disappearance of traditional crop varieties and practices.
● The trend of land use changes due to agriculture.
(to be studied with reference to the case studies provided in the resource material)

5. Consequences of Unsustainable Development
(i) Environmental Degradation.
● Consequences on ecosystem: Deforestation, ecosystem degradation, habitat and biodiversity loss,
and extinction.
● Consequences on natural resources: pollution of air, water, and soil, depletion of water resources,
disruption of soil fertility and food production.
(to be studied with relevant examples and case studies in the global and Indian context provided in
the resource material)
(ii) Social Consequences.
● Increased inequality: poverty and social divisions, loss of traditional livelihoods and displacement,
lack of access to clean water, air, and other resources,
● Health and occupational hazards.
● Issues of social security and welfare.
● Disruption of traditional lifestyles and cultural loss.
(to be studied with a relevant example in the global and Indian context provided in the resource
material)
(iii) Economic Consequences.
Increasing income gap between rich and poor, economic instability, decline in agricultural productivity
and resource-based industries, conflict over land and natural resources, short-term gain vs long-term
losses.
(to be studied with a relevant example in the global and Indian context provided in the resource
material)

6. Introduction to Triple Planetary Crisis
(i) Triple Planetary Crisis.
Human interference with the environment and the emergence of the three major planetary crises, viz.,
environmental pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change, local to global manifestation (with
illustration/local stories).
(ii) Environmental Pollution.
• Defining environmental pollution and pollutants. Types of Pollution - Air, Water, Soil/Land, Plastic.
Causes and cross-cutting sources.
• Major Pollutants: Air pollutants and Air Quality Index (AQI), water pollutants, soil pollutants, and
plastic pollutants.
• Effects of Pollution: on the environment, human health and biodiversity. Issues like eutrophication,
leaching, biomagnification, scale of plastic pollution and the increasing microplastic pollution.
(Case study reference provided in the resource material)
(iii) Biodiversity loss.
Introduction, alarming rate of biodiversity loss- national and global, with examples, 6th mass extinction,
interconnection of species and coextinction. (Meaning and point-wise explanation).

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● Causes: habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species, co-extinction, and overexploitation of
biodiversity.
● Key issues: Species extinction and ecosystem disruption, dominance of invasive species, loss of
ecosystem services, social, economic and cultural losses (sustenance and livelihood of tribal
communities, deterioration of traditional wisdom, knowledge and practices), human-animal conflict.
(Case study reference provided in the resource material)
(iv) Climate change.
Definition, key greenhouse gases (GHGs) and their characteristics, increasing trend of GHGs in the
atmosphere over the recent past and correlation with increase in global average temperature, concept of
carbon footprint, per capita emissions of developed and developing countries.
● Causes: Carbon emissions from burning of fossil fuels for electricity production, industrial
production, manufacturing, construction, cooking and transportation, deforestation and land use
changes; methane emissions from livestock and waste dumping sites; nitrous oxide emission from
fertiliser use. Our lifestyles as a driver of emissions and hence climate change. (in brief).
● Key issues: Global warming and temperature rise, glacier and ice sheet melting, oceanic impacts
(sea level rise, ocean acidification, coral bleaching), biodiversity loss and species extinction, water
scarcity, vector borne diseases, extreme weather events, migration and displacement, inequitable
impacts on marginalized and vulnerable communities (to be explained with examples from global and
India).
(Case study reference provided in the resource material)

7. Transition to a Sustainable Society
(i) Introduction to Sustainable Development.
Definition, principles, need for sustainable development, historical milestones - 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development in 2015, the 17 SDGs and the present focus on sustainability in every walk of
life
(ii) Approach to Sustainable Development.
Leapfrog approach and its benefits (to be explained with simple illustration), examples of leapfrog
approach: clean energy, green infrastructure, efficient public transport etc.
(iii) Environment Ethics.
Understanding environmental ethics, key environmental principles and the need for putting
environmental ethics in practice at every level - from global policy levels to individual level.

8. Sustainable Handprint Actions in Home, Schools and Neighbourhood
(i) Concept of Handprint.
Individual to community-led actions for sustainability, Scientific approach to studying, evaluating and
monitoring sustainability issues: Identifying environmental problems in our immediate environment and
connected issues/impacts, profiling them with respect to Triple Planetary Crisis (TPC), gathering
information and data and preparing action plans.
(ii) Practical tools and exercises at home and schools for monitoring and improving the environment.
Develop and use of basic level tools for energy audits, waste audit, and water budgeting, local biodiversity
observation and mapping.

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INTERNAL ASSESSMENT
Any one project/assignment and one case study from the prescribed syllabus, need to be completed by the
candidates.
Suggested Assignments/Projects:
1. Document the plant and animal species within your school campus/ any nearby biodiversity park. Conduct a
species survey, classify them, and prepare a biodiversity checklist. Suggest ways to improve campus
biodiversity (e.g., identify areas and undertake plantation of native species).
2. Create a report or presentation on traditional Indian medical practices, such as Homoeopathy and
Ayurveda, in addressing common health issues and their benefits.
3. Study the urbanisation trend in your city/town/village using census data and compare it with a place you
would want to live in. Plot it on a graph. Evaluate how urbanisation has impacted your place.
4. Conduct a water budgeting in your home to assess water supply and water usage; find out if there is a surplus
or deficit of water; compare it with the standard water use per person per day. Also, explore the water
conservation initiatives in your city/ town/ village.
5. Engage in your neighbourhood to identify any one local environmental problem, conduct surveys, map the
related issues and impacts, search for possible solutions and take actions for improvement.
6. Design a school project to identify the major sources of GHG emissions (electricity, travel, food waste, and
use of paper) and analyse the role of individual actions (from students, teachers and staff) in reducing these
emissions.
7. Prepare an original study/essay (2000 words) on the critical issue of deteriorating air quality in your city,
highlighting the causes, impacts, and solutions. Discuss how individuals and communities can contribute
effectively to improving air quality.
8. Conduct a plastic waste audit in your school/ home to assess its volume, and categorise it under simple
categories (single-use plastic, reusable/ recyclable plastic). Focusing on single-use plastics and packaging,
explore how to minimise plastic use through traditional practices such as using banana leaves, terracotta
containers, and cloth bags, and present the findings in the form of a report or presentation.
9. Conduct an energy audit in school or households by measuring energy consumption across appliances, using
a simple template. Analyse wastage patterns and propose solutions such as energy-efficient devices or using
renewable energy sources. Present findings in a detailed report or a PowerPoint presentation highlighting
practical energy-saving measures.
10. Out of 17 SDGs, choose one SDG goal and track its progress in India from secondary sources. Create a report
or presentation showcasing all initiatives of India related to that SDG goal and his/her state initiatives to
achieve that goal.

Suggested Case Studies:
1. Industrialisation and urbanisation- Indian case study: Environmental Impacts of Open Cast Mining in Jhansi,
Uttar Pradesh, India, Rapid Urbanisation and Its Impact on the Environment: The Case of Delhi, India.
2. Industrialisation and urbanisation -Global case study: Mining’s Impact on Environmental and Human Health:
A Case Study of Ramba County’s Gold Mine, Urban Growth and Spatial Segregation Increase Disaster Risk:
Lessons from the 2023 Disaster on the North Coast of São Paulo, Brazil.
3. Modern agricultural practices -Case studies like overuse of pesticides and chemical fertilisers - 2017 Pesticide
poisoning in Yavatmal, Maharashtra, India.
4. Modern agricultural practices -The Punjab Cancer and Pesticide Contamination case study ("Cancer Train")
can be used to highlight the harmful consequences of excessive pesticide use in modern agriculture.
5. Environmental Degradation-Use case studies like London’s Great Smog (1952) - United Kingdom, the
Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine, Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (2010) in the USA, Lava-Like Fire on the
Mezquital River (2023) - Durango, Mexico, Bellandur Lake Fires (2015–2021) - Bangalore, India to illustrate
the environmental degradation caused by unsustainable development.

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6. Social Consequences - Social consequences can be demonstrated by case studies like Minamata Disease
(1950s–1960s) - Japan, Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984) - India, Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster (1986).
7. Economic consequences -Use Land cover changes in Bannerghatta National Park, Karnataka with 5km buffer
during 1973-2015, Land use/land cover change maps of Hangzhou City, China from 1992–2012 to
demonstrate the economic consequences of unsustainable development through habitat loss, urban
expansion, and resource depletion, Soil Degradation and Agricultural Crisis,Punjab, India.
8. Environmental pollution -Use the following case studies to explain various types of environmental pollution:
Air pollution : Photochemical smog (Mexico City), acid precipitation (Mumbai),Smog Crisis in New York city
(1950s to 1960s), Donora, Pennsylvania (1948), Current air quality index of Delhi.
9. Water pollution : Minamata Disease (Japan), Ganga and Yamuna river condition.
10. Land pollution : Love Canal Toxic Waste Dump (USA), Soil Pollution in Thane Creek, (Maharashtra),
Mavallipura Landfill, (Bangalore).
11. Plastic pollution: Microplastics in Arctic Ice (Global), 2018 Great Pacific Garbage Patch Research.
12. Biodiversity loss: Use the following case studies to illustrate the impacts of biodiversity loss-
Global: Amazon Rainforest (Deforestation for cattle/soy; loss of jaguars), Great Barrier Reef (coral bleaching
due to warming seas), African Savanna (poaching and overgrazing affecting wildlife.
13. Biodiversity loss: Indian: Western Ghats (habitat loss; threats to lion-tailed macaque), Sundarbans (rising
sea levels endangered Royal Bengal Tigers), Kaziranga (floods and poaching threaten rhinos).
14. Climate change: Use the following case studies to illustrate the impacts of Climate Change-
Global: Arctic Ice Melt, Australia's Bushfires (2019-2020), Pacific Islands (rising seas threaten low-lying
nations), heat waves in Europe.
15. Climate change: Indian: Himalayan Glaciers (rapid melting impacts water supply), Cyclone Amphan (2020)
(intense storms caused by warmer seas), floods (in Kerala, Mumbai, Bangalore etc.), heatwaves (increased
frequency in northern India, causing health and water crises), landslides due to intense rains (in Wayanad,
Kerala and in North-east hill states).

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