CBSE Class 10th Social Science Syllabus 2024, Marking Scheme, and Preparation Tips
Content Curator | Updated On - Oct 31, 2025
CBSE class 10 social science syllabus has been released by the official sources. It consists of four sections: History, Political Science, Geography, and Economics. In 2025, the exam is tentatively scheduled to happen between February and March. Some information regarding the social science syllabus are given below:
- Each section in the social science syllabus has equal weightage.
- Internal assessment carries 20 marks.
The syllabus for CBSE class 10 has also undergone some changes as compared to the previous year. The notable changes include:
- The recent historical events and global issues have been included in the syllabus.
- Updated sections on governance and democracy have been added to the syllabus.
- The recent major economic trends and policies with new statistics and policies are also included
Apart from these, some some chapter from the deleted syllabus of class 10 cbse 2024-25 social science include:
| Name of Chapter | Deleted Topic |
|---|---|
| Forest and Wildlife | Project Tiger Flora and Fauna in India Asiatic Cheetah: Where did they go? Biodiversity or Biological Diversity The Himalayan Yew in trouble Vanishing Forest |
| Manufacturing Industries | Cotton Textiles, Sugar Industry, Jute Textiles, Industry Market Linkage Iron Steel Industry, Cement Industry |
| Resources & Development | Types of resources |
| Agriculture | Impact of Globalisation on Agriculture |
| Democratic Politics | |
| Democracy & Diversity | Whole chapter |
| Popular Struggles & Movements | Whole chapter |
| Challenges to Democracy | Whole chapter |
CBSE Class 10 Social Science Syllabus
The social science syllabus includes subjects like history, political science, geography, and economics. Candidates will be given a time of 3 hours to complete the exam. Given below are the subjects and marks distribution according to the latest CBSE class 10 exam pattern of the syllabus:
| Subject | Syllabus | Weightage (%) | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| History | The Rise of Nationalism in Europe. Nationalism in India The Making of a Global World (Sub-topics 1 to 1.3) Print Culture and the Modern World Map pointing | 25 | 18+2 |
| Political Science | Power-sharing Federalism Gender, Religion, and Caste Political Parties Outcomes of Democracy | 25 | 20 |
| Geography | Resources and Development Forest and Wildlife Resources Water Resources Agriculture Mineral and Energy Resources Manufacturing industries. Lifelines of the National Economy(map pointing) Map pointing | 25 | 17+3 |
| Economics | Development Sectors of theIndian Economy Money and Credit Globalization and The IndianEconomy Sub-topics:What is Globalization? Factors that have enabledGlobalization | 25 | 20 |
History (India and the Contemporary World - II)
| Section | Chapter Name | No.of Periods | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Events and processes | Rise of Nationalism in Europe | 17 | 18+2 map pointing |
| Nationalism In India | 17 | ||
| Livelihoods, Economies, and Societies | The Making of a Global World (To be evaluated in the BoardExamination - Subtopics:1 to 1.3Pre-Modern World to Conquest,Disease and Trade) | 6 | |
| Interdisciplinary project as part ofmultiple assessments (Internally assessed for 5 marks Sub-topics 2 to 4.4 The nineteenthcentury (1815-1914) to end ofBretton Woods & the beginning of “Globalisation. | 4 | ||
| The Age of Industrialization (To be assessed as part of Periodic Assessments only) | 6 | ||
| Everyday Life, Culture, and Politics | Print Culture and the Modern World | 10 |
Geography (Contemporary India - II)
| Chapter Name | Number of Periods | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Resources and Development | 7 | 17+3 Map pointing |
| Forest and Wildlife Resources | 7 | |
| Water Resources | 7 | |
| Agriculture | 10 | |
| Minerals and Energy Resources | 10 | |
| Manufacturing Industries | 10 | |
| Lifelines of the National Economy (Only map pointing to be evaluated in the Board Examination) | 2 | |
| Interdisciplinary project as part of multiple assessments (Internally assessed for 5 marks) | 2 |
Political Science (Democratic Politics - II)
| Chapter Name | Number of Periods | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Power-sharing | 15 | 20 |
| Federalism | ||
| Gender, Religion, and Caste | 12 | |
| Political Parties | 12 | |
| Outcomes of Democracy | 11 |
Economics (Economic Development)
| Chapter Name | Number of Periods | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Development | 12 | 20 |
| Sectors of the Indian Economy | 12 | |
| Money and Credit | 12 | |
| Globalization and The Indian Economy To be evaluated in the Board Examination:What is Globalization? Factors that have enabled Globalization | 8 | |
| Interdisciplinary project as part of multiple assessments(Internally assessed for 5 marks) Production across the countries Chinese toys in India World Trade Organisation The Struggle for a Fair Globalization | ||
| Project Work: Consumer Rights | ||
CBSE Class 10 Social Science Course Syllabus
The below table shows the different chapters, their learning objectives, processes, and the outcomes of social 10 CBSE syllabus for the students:
| Chapters | Learning Objective | Teaching Learning Process | Learning Outcome With Specific Competencies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rise Of Nationalism In Europe | Examine the influence of the French Revolution on European countries in the formation of the Nation-state. Examine the nature of the era's many social movements. (1830-1848) Examine how the concept of nationalism evolved and led to the development of nation-states. Understand how the drive for colonies in the Balkan republics precipitated World War I. | Watch videos and read associated novels about the French Revolution, followed by a class discussion and presentation. World café/panel discussion/debate using Collaborative learning to investigate and present various social groupings as a group. Use graphic organizers to illustrate the concept of a state union to make one nation. (Italy, Germany, and Greece) Visual depiction of the Pre-First World War Europe map, followed by class discussion and reflection exercise based on the Post-First World War Europe map. | Analyze how the French Revolution influenced European countries in the formation of nation-states. Enumerate and analyze the legitimacy of the various social movements of the period. Analyse and deduce how the concept of nationalism arose and led to the development of nation-states in Europe and elsewhere. Show how the thirst for imperialism sparked the First World War. |
| Nationalism In India | Explore many aspects of nationalistic movements that brought in a sense of collective belonging. Discuss how the First World War triggered two distinctive movements in India (Khilafat and Non-cooperation Movement). Assess and evaluate the roles of Mahatma Gandhi and other leaders in the two movements (NCM and CDM). | Story/sequence chart Storytelling pedagogy for the board Showcase many aspects of nationalistic movements that ushered in a sense of collective belonging. Students will evaluate textual content and additional sources before presenting through PowerPoint. Viewing pertinent movie/video snippets representing various events involving Gandhi and other leaders and presenting conclusions through a panel discussion or seminars. | Showcase many aspects of nationalistic movements that ushered in a sense of collective belonging. Summarise the characteristics of the First World War that prompted two defining movements (Khilafat and Non-cooperation Movement) in India. Evaluate the success of Gandhi's and other leaders' methods in the two movements |
| The making of a Global World | Study multiple aspects of how the world evolved dramatically in the nineteenth century in terms of economic, political, social, cultural, and technical domains. Examine the negative effects of colonialism on the economy and the livelihoods of colonized people. Interdisciplinary Project based on Chapter 7 of Geography: National Economy Lifelines and Chapter 4 of Economics: Globalization and the Indian Economy | Initiate an inquiry-based learning approach utilizing the world café' technique and communicate your results using the café discussion strategy of each area (how the world has changed in terms of economy, politics, culture, and technology). To demonstrate the interconnectivity, art integration and a gallery stroll were used. Students analyze the photographic display/new paper cuttings that portray the detrimental impact of colonialism on colonized people's lives and publish their findings in the form of a newsletter/cartoon strips/Inter-Disciplinary Project. | Summarise the economic, political, cultural, and technical transformations that have revolutionized the planet. Show the worldwide connectivity from prehistoric times to the present. List the negative effects of colonialism on the livelihoods of colonized people. |
| Sub-topic 1: The pre-modern world Sub-topic 2:19th century 1815 -1914 Sub-topic 3:The inter-war economy Sub-topic 4: Rebuilding of the world economy: the post-war era. | |||
| The Age of Industrialization | Examine the economic, political, and social aspects of pre and post-industrialization. Analyze the impact of industrialization in the colonies, with a particular focus on India | View-related Videos/ Visuals/ Documentaries/ Movie Clippings on Pre- and Post-Economic, Political, and Social Features of Pre and Post-Industrialization Debate the impact of industrialization in the colonies, with a particular focus on India | Enumerate the economic, political, and social characteristics of pre- and post-industrialization. Analyze and infer how industrialization impacted colonies, with an emphasis on India. |
| Print Culture and the Modern World | Examine the evolution of print from its origins in East Asia to its spread in Europe and India. Analyze the influence of technology's expansion and analyze how social life and culture altered with the introduction of print. | Flow chart depicting the evolution of Print Declaration on the great alteration of humankind, brought about by the printing revolution. Use a Venn diagram to compare the benefits of handwritten and printed books. Interpret and deduce major events and topics from images, cartoons, and excerpts from propagandist literature, with a concentration on print culture. | Describe the evolution of print from its origins in East Asia to its spread in Europe and India. Comment on the notion that the print revolution was more than simply a method of creating books; it was a deep alteration of humanity. Compare and contrast the ancient tradition of handwritten manuscripts with print technology. Summarise the role of the printing revolution and its influence on the global and Indian political, social, and economic conditions. |
Political Science: Democratic Politics - II
| Chapters | Learning Objective | Teaching Learning Process | Learning Outcome With Specific Competencies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power-sharing | Investigate and comprehend how democracies deal with demands and the necessity for power-sharing. Analyze the challenges that nations such as Belgium and Sri Lanka confront in guaranteeing successful power-sharing. | Read relevant newspaper articles/clippings on power-sharing and show your results in a flow chart. Discuss several kinds of electricity distribution. Classroom discussion about the issues that Belgium and Sri Lanka face in establishing efficient power-sharing. Socratic Debate on India, Sri Lanka, and Belgium's Power-Sharing Techniques Read the textual resource and additional resources, and display your results using graphic organizers. | List the reasons why power-sharing is necessary in a democracy. Analyze and deduce the difficulties that Belgium and Sri Lanka confront in securing power-sharing. Compare and contrast India's power-sharing with Sri Lanka and Belgium. Summarise the role of power-sharing in maintaining a country's unity and stability. |
| Federalism | Understand the idea and practice of Indian Federalism. Analyze the policies and politics that have bolstered federalism in practice | Group debate on the division of powers between the Union and state governments, including presentations of the results. Debate and propose ideas and politics that promote Federalism in practice using a mind map | Analyze and deduce how federalism is practised in India. Analyze and infer how policies and politics have strengthened federalism in practice. |
| Gender, Religion, and Caste | Examine the role of gender, religion, and caste in the practice of democracy in India. Analyses whether the various manifestations based on these disparities are healthy in a democracy | Skit/street play to demonstrate how inequalities in gender, religion, and caste affect healthy or unhealthy behavior in a democracy. Analyze and deduce how diverse expressions based on variations in Gender, Religion, and Caste are healthy or harmful in a democracy using a graphic manner. | Discusses how disparities in gender, religion, and caste impact healthy or unhealthy behaviour in a democracy. Analyses and infers if varied expressions based on gender, religion, and caste are good or ill in a democracy. |
| Chapter 4 | Examine the role, function, and number of political parties in a democracy. Assesses the contributions of national and regional political parties to the creation or destruction of Indian democracy | The function, purpose, and number of political parties in a democracy Reads newspapers and watches video clips to justify the contributions / non-contributions made by national and regional political parties to the smooth operation of Indian democracy. | Describes the function, purpose, and number of political parties in a democracy. Justifies the contributions / non-contributions made by national and regional political parties to the achievement of Indian democracy. |
| Chapter 5 | Understands the expected and actual consequences of democracy in terms of government quality, economic well-being, equality, social disparities, conflict, freedom, and dignity. Analyses the factors that contribute to the gap between predicted and actual democratic outcomes in the following areas: government quality, economic well-being, inequality, social differences and conflict, and lastly, freedom and dignity | Graphs show how the success of democracy is dependent on the quality of governance, economic well-being, equality, social disparities, conflict, freedom, and dignity. Case study for Analyses and infers why the difference between predicted, and actual outcomes sometimes affects the success of democracy | Describes how the success of democracy is dependent on the quality of governance, economic well-being, equality, social diversity, conflict, freedom, and dignity. Analyses and infers why the difference between predicted, and actual outcomes sometimes affects the success of democracy. |
Guidelines by a CBSE Class 10 Candidate
Ques. Is there any advice for candidates who will appear for boards in 2025?
Ans. Read each line of the book and solve the mock test questions as frequently as possible. You must also practice the back questions given in the book.
Ques. Which chapters are important for map work of geography?
Ans. Map work is significant from chapters like Resources and Development, Forest and Wildlife Resources, Water Resources, and Agriculture, etc.
Ques. Is the types of resources chapter deleted from the syllabus?
Ans. Yes, this subject has been removed from the syllabus for the 2025 examination.
Ques. Has the manufacturing industries chapter been omitted from the syllabus?
Ans. Yes, it has been removed from the syllabus.
Weightage of Questions
Each section has a different weightage according to their topics. Here, given below, are the details about marks and percentages according to CBSE curriculum India:
| Sections | Marks | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| MCQs | 20x1=20 | 25 |
| Marks Narrative Questions | 4x2=8 | 10 |
| Marks Narrative Questions | 5x3=15 | 18.75 |
| Marks Case Study Questions | 3x4=12 | 15 |
| Mark Narrative Questions | 4x5=20 | 25 |
| Map | 5 | 6.25 |
Internal Assessment
| Assessment | Description | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Periodic Assessment | Pen Paper Test | 5 |
| Multiple Assessment | Quiz, debate, role play, viva, group discussion, visual expression, interactive bulletin boards, gallery walks, exit cards, concept maps, peer assessment, Self-assessment, etc. through Interdisciplinary project | 5 |
| Subject Enrichment Activity | Project Work on Consumer Rights (or) Social Issues (or) Sustainable Development | 5 |
| Portfolio | Classwork, Work done (activities/ assignments) reflections, narrations, journals, etc. Achievements of the student in the subject throughout the year, Participation of the student in different activities like the Heritage India quiz | 5 |
Best Books for Preparation
You must follow the best-recommended books for a good score in your board examination. Given below are some popular books from NCERT that you can follow for your examination:
| Subject | Books | Publications |
|---|---|---|
| History | India and the Contemporary World - II | NCERT |
| Political Science | Democratic Politics | NCERT |
| Geography | Contemporary India | NCERT |
| Economics | Understanding Economic Development | NCERT |
| Disaster Management | Together Towards a Safer India -Part III (A Textbook on Disaster Management) | NCERT |
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.