In a significant revision to the Legal Studies syllabus for classes 11, and 12, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will incorporate recent legal reforms, including the repeal of triple talaq, the abolition of sedition, the enactment of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the annulment of Section 377, which had criminalised homosexuality, The Indian Express has reported.
According to the report, the CBSE's Curriculum Committee approved the changes, and the Governing Body ratified them in June. Senior secondary students will soon study laws that have replaced colonial-era statutes, along with landmark judgments and evolving legal doctrines shaping India's justice system.
Quoting official records, The Indian Express reported: "CBSE proposes to revise and update the Legal Studies textbooks to reflect: key provisions of BNS, BNSS, and BSA; landmark legal judgments and recent legal doctrines; repealed or outdated laws (e.g., sedition, Section 377, triple talaq); and a modern, engaging pedagogy aligned with NEP 2020."
The update follows far-reaching legal reforms introduced in 2023-24, when the BNS, Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bhartiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) replaced the Indian Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, and the Indian Evidence Act. These changes also removed provisions such as sedition, criminalised triple talaq, and struck down Section 377 of the IPC - a colonial-era law introduced in 1861 that criminalised sexual activities "against the order of nature."
"The Legal Studies textbooks, introduced over five years ago to promote legal literacy among senior secondary students, have not kept pace with recent reforms. The Board plans to set up an expert committee and may hire a content development agency to ensure the revised textbooks are ready for the 2026-27 academic year," The Indian Express quoted CBSE officials as saying.
Introduced in Class 11 in 2013 and in Class 12 the following year, Legal Studies has gained significant traction as a popular subject among students interested in law, governance, and public policy.
The syllabus underwent its last major revision in 2022-23, incorporating topics such as the POSH Act, 2013, the Right to Information Act, the Consumer Protection Act, Intellectual Property Rights, and legal entities.