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Besides being a CBSE Class 10 subject, social science is an interdisciplinary gateway to knowledge about global historic processes, geographic trends, political organisations, and economic decision-making. The subject, whose topics focus on geography, political science, economics, and history, leans the student towards critical thinking about society and the path of society's development over time.

Keeping in view the development of conceptual comprehension and analytical minds, the CBSE has made its official sample question papers of 2026 available. These are not practice pages in a strict sense; these are indicative of the increasing interest of the board in learning by application, application to real-world problems, and integration of subjects. Through observing the structure and design of such questions closely, the students are better equipped to understand content as well as context.

This clarification gives a concise summary of provided multiple-choice questions from the history segment of the Social Science sample paper. It tries to guide students by the hand in explaining right answers, defining key concepts, and identifying those areas where it is important to know—not memorize.

Section A (History)

Q1. Thousands of people emigrated from Europe to America during the 19th century due to

1. Poverty and fatal diseases
2. Recurring famines and unclean living
3. Recurring wars and political unrest
4. Hostile climate and recurring natural calamities

Q2. Louise-Sebastien Mercier wrote, "Tremble, therefore, tyrants of the world! Tremble before the virtual writer!"

Who are the tyrants here?

1. Educated classes with a reformatory aspiration for society
2. Absolutist institutions such as the monarchy and the church
3. Authors of the new books
4. Printing press

Section B (Geography)

Q1. What is needed for the development of resources to become total development?

1. Availability of resources standalone.
2. Foreign occupation and invaders.
3. Technological improvement and institutional reform.
4. Human resources can alone bring about development.

What is the most roundabout effect of poaching on tigers?

1. Decline of prey species, decreasing the food base for the tiger.
2. Human-wildlife conflict in protected areas increased
3. Increase in tiger population
4. Decline in national park tourist revenues

Section C (Political Science)

Q1: The following statement(s) is/are true regarding the ethnic makeup of Belgium:

1. 59 percent of Belgium's overall population reside in the Wallonia region and are French speakers.
2. 40 percent reside in the Flemish region and are Dutch speakers.
3. One percent of Belgians are German speakers.
4. In the capital city of Brussels, 80 per cent French speakers and 20 per cent Dutch speakers.

Select the right option:

1. I and II
2. III and IV
3. I, II and III
4. I and IV

Q2: Take the given case and select the right option

Assume that Government of India is going to issue new notes of various denominations to keep most of the black money. State government is against this Central government policy. Is the state government capable of preventing the union government from implementing the policy?

1. Yes, since Currency is a State List topic
2. No, since Currency is a Union List topic
3. Yes, since both the governments shall have to sanction this change.
4. No, since any such change shall have to be sanctioned by the local government as well.

Section D (Economics)

Underemployment is said to occur where -

1. More employees are employed than are actually required
2. Fewer employees are employed than are actually required
3. More than what the workers have earned are they hired
4. Only highly skilled workers are employed

What can be concluded about the disadvantages of employing per capita income (average income) when estimating well-being of countries? Choose the best one as the Answer.

1. It demonstrates how evenly or un-evenly the income is divided between the people living in a country.
2. Per capita income alone is sufficient to be aware of the development of a nation.
3. It provides a general idea about the economic affluence but conceals the inequality of income.
4. It provides only the industrial development of a nation but not any other significant determinant.

Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Thursday toured a job fair in a government school and described it as a sign of the increasing importance of vocational education. As something beyond a placement scheme, Sood emphasized the government's strategy of initiating path-breaking transformations within the next five years.

He mentioned that the government is interested in giving students academic as well as career skills. Sood also mentioned that the event put the growing importance of vocational training in Delhi government schools in the spotlight.

The event, organized at a Sarvodaya school in Rohini, was graced by local MLA Rajkumar Chauhan, top officials of the Education Department, students, their parents, and delegates from more than 30 firms like HCL, Haldiram, Citykart, Navgurukul, and Tech Mahindra. The firms were providing jobs to the students who had cleared Class 12 with vocational training, a statement added.

Discussing the role, Sood interacted with corporate officials concerning the recruitment process and the nature of salary and benefits provided to candidates.

He also discussed with students how they can mold their futures by entering the job market and contributing to society.

"All the 9 to 12 classes of Delhi government schools will be provided with smart classrooms, robotics, data science, ICT labs, and personal computers in the next five years," he stated.

"It is welcome that there is such heavy presence. More welcome is the change of times students now are starting to receive the correct opportunities on the basis of their skill, merit, and talent," he stated.

Sood also said more than 4.2 lakh students have chosen vocational training in different trades in Delhi government schools in the last academic year a clear pointer skill-based learning is becoming part of main-stream education.

He asserted that this program fits perfectly into the vision of the National Education Policy 2020, which is to balance scholastic and vocational education. "The Delhi government is trying to make every student school-ready as well as life-ready," he asserted.

He gave the credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of creating space for skill recognition and employment by launching schemes like Skill India. Sood stated that the government of Delhi, led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, is interested in moving that vision forward.

The minister further said that the Department of Education considers it to be everyone's responsibility to provide equal opportunities through skill development regardless of a student belonging to a particular background, religion, caste, or community.

He assured the students that they would never feel alien when they arrive at universities since their schools would equip them with theoretical and practical skills. "No student should have the notion that government schools impart only bookish knowledge; we are now providing skill-based education as well," the minister claimed.

Appreciating the efforts of top-notch recruiters such as HCL, Haldiram, and Tech Mahindra, Sood added that it is indicative of the combined muscle of school management, teachers, and the Education Department. "These companies approaching government schools and acknowledging the potential of our kids is a big statement," he added.

The government of Uttar Pradesh has reversed some of its important primary school merger policy. This is against the backdrop of increasing outrage among villages whose pupils were to have longer distances to walk to school or hazardous routes after small schools are closed.

Not more than one kilometre between any government school and another will be consolidated from now on. Furthermore, no school with over 50 students will be permitted to alter its size, the Basic Education Department stipulated in new guidelines.

RULES TO ENSURE SAFER, CLOSER ACCESS TO SCHOOLS

Basic Education Minister Sandeep Singh validated it, stating it was done to ensure students' ease of access to education. "We are keeping in view the convenience, safety and education of the children," he added.

The state had earlier rigidly promoted a merger drive to integrate the school chain in dispersed enrolling villages. But it faced resistance from teachers' unions and panchayats upset that closures would contribute to the difficulty for children, particularly in far-flung villages, to go to school every day.

And then exceptions have been made by the government. Schools separated by a railway line, a river, or a road will not be consolidated, albeit one kilometre from another school.

Vacant school buildings will also not sit idle. These will be utilized to operate Anganwadi centres or Balvatika units for pre-primary education, retaining the facility occupied by smaller children in the region.

The previous policy of consolidation had confused and frightened the air in much of the state. Parents were not certain whether their neighborhood schools would close, and some believed their children would have to travel far or even traverse dangerous ground to go to a school elsewhere.

With the cuts, the government is attempting to set things right by reducing school facilities where required but not removing the minimum access. The teachers' unions too appreciated the step, terming it as a 'corrective measure'.

In most areas, even a few more kilometres to school can lead children, and particularly girls, to leave school. This new policy would be able to make a tangible difference in getting more children into classrooms, near their homes, safe, and in school.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has modified its affiliation bye-laws to make it mandatory that the total number of sections in a school will be allowed based on the overall built-up carpet area of the school building, officials said.

The board has further decided that schools will be permitted an equal number of sections in the secondary level and in the senior secondary level.

"The board has also been getting complaints from the schools and stakeholders that there are places where there is a severe lack of land availability, because of which sometimes the schools encounter functional hardships in adding additional sections beyond the allowed limit, even when new admissions are in demand.".

"The schools also struggle to achieve the section student ratio of 1:40 under pressure for fresh admissions, but cannot open more sections because of the ceiling of admissible sections under land criteria," CBSE Secretary Himanshu Gupta added.

Gupta added that the board has now gone ahead and determined the maximum number of sections in a school to be allowed based on the school building's total built-up carpet area.

"The floor area of the school building calculated by adding up carpet area has to be verified by a licensed architect or the local body, as the case be. The area of land shall be used only for determining the category of the schools--Branch School, Middle Level School, Secondary Level and Senior Secondary Level under affiliation bye-laws," he said.

"The school will be permitted an equal number of sections at senior secondary level and at secondary level. The overall number of sections available at secondary level--class 9 and 10 and at senior secondary level--class 11 and 12, will be limited at every level to one-fourth of the overall number of sections being operated in the school from Balvatika to class 10 and 12," he added.

Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty has not held back criticism of what he described as attempts to saffronize the education sector in the guise of bringing in the National Education Policy (NEP).

His remarks came in the wake of the row surrounding the 'Jnan Sabha' programme, a convocation for higher education which was held in Ernakulam. The function was convened by Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas, an organisation belonging to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat had attended.

The admission of five vice-chancellors from Kerala universities into the program infuriated the minister severely. "The news that the vice-chancellors of five universities in the state are participating in the program with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at its head is highly disturbing. Universities should be independent and unbiased," Sivankutty said.

He advised that educational institutions not be politicized, saying, "Using institutions that should concentrate on academic excellence and research for political purposes will have far-reaching implications."

The minister emphasized that the education sector should not be brought under the influence of the dictates of any one ideology or political agenda. "Attempts to place the education sector under the domination of any particular ideology or political agenda are unacceptable under all circumstances. Education must be accessible and secular for all," he declared.

Sivankutty also expressed dismay over attempts by certain organisations to politicise education policies for their agendas. "It is distressing that certain organisations are attempting to twist education policies in line with their interests."

Reaffirming the position of the state government, the minister said, "The state government remains committed to safeguarding the general education sector and the higher education sector in Kerala. The government is keen on having an education system that holds fast to the basic principles of the Constitution and democratic values."

He concluded by saying that the Kerala people will resist any effort to impose ideological control over education. "The people in Kerala will take all necessary steps to resist and vanquish the saffronisation attempts and maintain the secular character of the education sector."

New admissions in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) have fallen to the five-year low, revealed numbers put in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

Numbers presented by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to MPs BK Parthasarathi and Sudha R were new entries, 1.95 lakh in 2020-21, dropped to 1.83 lakh in 2021-22 and then to 1.58 lakh in 2022-23.Although it increased to 1.75 lakh in 2023–2024, it dropped to a pathetic 1.39 lakh during the current academic year (2024–25).

The overall number of pupils registered in India's 1,280 Kendriya Vidyalayas fell from 13.88 lakh in 2020–21 to 13.5 lakh this year throughout this period.

Originally established for the children of transferable central government officers, Kendriya Vidyalaya is one of India's most renowned government schools.

Incidentally, falling enrollment continues to be the Centre's bane as it approved, in December 2023, the establishment of 85 new Kendriya Vidyalayas. The schools, along with an extension to one already existing KV at Shivamogga, Karnataka, will come up at a cost of almost ?5,872 crore.

Budgetary spending to KVS, however, continued to increase; the estimates rose from ?6,437.68 crore in 2020-21 to ?8,727 crore in 2024-25.

Union Education Ministry also issued a caution recently regarding falling admissions in government schools in general. Previously, while deliberating on the PM-POSHAN (midday meal) scheme in this year, States and Union Territories were requested to inquire into the cause of falling enrollment at the primary and upper-primary level in 23 subjects and submit a comprehensive report.