NCERT book features carpentry, animal care

The book roots vocational education in India’s traditional knowledge

From learning basic carpentry skills, building hydroponics, designing home automation circuits to caring for animals and creating ethical advertisements for local businesses, the new National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) Class 8 vocational education activity book introduces students to six hands-on projects aimed at blending practical skills with cultural and environmental awareness among them.

NCERT book features carpentry, animal care

The book roots vocational education in India’s traditional knowledge – from Atharva Veda’s ecological ethics in woodworking to indigenous veterinary remedies and historical floating farms of Dal Lake and Loktak Lake.

Developed in alignment with National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023 provisions, the 202-page book titled ‘Kaushal Bodh,’ asks schools to organise ‘Kaushal Mela,’ an end-of-year exhibition where students would display self-made products and services, share their learning experiences, and engage with peers, teachers, and community members to celebrate skills and creativity.

In National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023, work has been categorised under three broad forms: work with life forms (plants, animals, farming); work with machines and materials (carpentry, electronics, automation); and work in human services (advertising, entrepreneurship, community engagement).

Under NCF-SE, students are expected to take up nine projects across Class 6 to 8 with three projects in each Class and one from each form of work.

“...The projects will help students to develop knowledge, skills, attitude and values alongside ecological sensitivity, gender sensitivity, digital skills, and life skills.” reads the foreword of the book.

Project 1 on hydroponics teaches students about soil-less farming and introduces them to compost tea made with jaggery and compost, and India’s age-old water-based farming techniques in floating farms like those on Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir and Loktak Lake in Manipur. Project 2 on animal care blends science and indigenous wisdom, covering fodder preparation, natural remedies, and livestock weight estimation using Schaeffle’s formula, preparing silage, and creating a first-aid kit for livestock. The project also highlights India’s history as a milk-producing nation and custodian of 43 indigenous cattle breeds.

Project 3 on wood and bamboo work builds basic carpentry skills using eco-friendly materials, inspired by traditional structures like the Padmanabhapuram Palace in Thuckalay, Tamil Nadu. Under the project, the book quotes a verse from the Atharva Veda: “Whatever we dig… may it have quick regeneration” linking woodworking to ecological ethics.

Project 4 on home automation introduces beginner electronics and Internet of Things (IoT) encouraging students to design sensor-based lights and motion detectors. Project 5 on water audit focuses on water conservation, where students measure household usage, analyse data, and propose community solutions. Project 6 on creating advertisements develops creativity and media literacy among students by encouraging them to design posters, jingles, and reels for local businesses.

“The choice of projects is left entirely to schools. One project may be taken up by students or preferably, the school can design other projects based on local considerations,” reads the about the book section of the book.

Jyoti Arora, principal of Mount Abu Public School in Rohini, northwest Delhi, said that the vocational education books provide hands-on learning experiences to students. “These books provide guidance on how to conduct different activities to impart skills among students which is more important than gaining knowledge of ideas. Vocational education books raise awareness among students about the environment at a young age which is important for sustainable development. We refer to these books to conduct activities for students in our schools,” she said.

NCERT had released the vocational education books for class 6 in July 2024 and for class 7 in March 2025.