NCERT biology books have undergone some revisions.

Chandigarh based Dr Arvind Goyal had filed a petition pointing out

errors in NCERT class 11 and 12 biology books. Punjab and Haryana
High Court had, in view of petition, directed NCERT to look into it.
National Council of Educational, Research and Training accepted 11
mistakes as per newspaper report in March 2018.
Dr Arvind Goyal was invited by NCERT to discuss errors in the
month of February. NCERT thereupon worked on them, and, in a
letter they highlighted accepted errors with correction and marked rest
as correct. Revised edition of NCERT has some changes and
remaining changes will be incorporated in next edition.

Students who are preparing for NEET 2019 or NEET 2020 want to
know how changes in NCERT biology book will impact their
preparation for NTA NEET exam. This article will throw light upon
changes and their impact.

Changes In NCERT Biology Book

The most authentic source for finding out exact changes in NCERT
book is its errata. However, errata is not yet available on the official
website of council.

Upon searching several places for changes, so that we can tell you
about them here, we came across two useful documents. There is one
TOI news report dated 23 March 2018 which enlists 7 changes in
NCERT class 11 and 12 biology books. Another is a PDF document
uploaded by Dr Goyal that has 44 changes.

We are providing both to you here. You can go through both and note
down corrections in NCERT books. However, if you are already using
the new books then you see revisions in it.

Changes in NCERT biology book as per

news paper report
NCERT Class 11 Biology Book Changes
Chapter Page Error Correction

Skeletal structure of cholesterol

Biomolecules 145 given in Fig 9.1 is not correct. Correct figure upd
 “Examples of free-living
nitrogen-fixing aerobic microbes
are Azotobacter and Beijernickia
while Rhodospirillum is
anaerobic and Bacillus free-
living.” This statement seems
incomplete. All bacteria in it are
Mineral Nutrition 202 free living. Sentence reframed

Figure 7.11 showing closed

circulatory system of earthworm
has incorrect labelling for sub-
neural vessel. Vessel with label
Structural sub-neural vessel is ventral
Organization In vessel. Sub-neural vessel is one
Animal 109 below vessel in figure. Arrow placed corr

Page 127 says that size of

bacteria is 3-5 μm. Page 128 says
127, 128 size of bacteria is 1-2 μm. Corrected

“The axoneme usually has nine

pairs of doublets of radially
arranged peripheral
microtubules” should be “The
axoneme usually has nine
doublets (and not nine pairs of
doublets) of radially arranged
Cell 137 peripheral microtubules” Corrected

NCERT Class 12 Biology Book Changes

Chapter Page Error Correction

Table 16.1 indicates mass

emission standards in India. in
light of SC implementation of
BS IV norms from 1 Apr 2017,
273 this needs updation. Concern considere

“By the end of the century, forest

cover shrunk to 19.4%.” Ministry
of Environment and Forest
Report 2015 shows that total Information was a
Environmental forest cover has increased available at time o
Issues 284 24.16% Issue considered.
Changes in NCERT biology book as per
PDF uploaded by Dr Arvind Goyal
NCERT Class 11 Biology Book Changes
Chapter Page Error Correction

unicellular organisms grow by Unicellular organi

The Living World 4 cell division. by cell division.

Many members like morels and Many members lik

Fungi 24 buffles are edible. truffles are edible.

In the family Fabaceae, the floral

diagram shows valvate Calyx in Fabaceae
aestivation of Calyx, while in the Imbricate aestivati
theory it is mentioned that Calyx diagram is specific
Plant Morphology 79 has imbricate aestivation sativum so valvate

Fabaceae floral diagram shows

perianth to be gamophyllous,
theory says perianth – tepal six (
3+3), often unified into tube.
Wheeras floral formula shows
perianth to be polyphyllous. Also
androecium floral diagram shows
stamens to be free and
epiphyllous (united to tepals).
Wheeras in floral formula they
are shown as A3+3 meaning to
be free and not attached to Floral formula cor
perianth. Theory indicates P(3+3) ; Androcei
Androecium is stamen six, (3+3), in floral diagram c
Plant Morphology 81 which also means they are fused. 3+3 and made Epi

Typhlosole extends between 26 – Typhlosolar region

35 segments in the intestine of segment except the
108 Earthworm 25th segments .

Labelling of spermiducal funnels

110 and testis is wrong. Corrected

female cockroach produces 9 –

10 ootheca. However summary Now both text say
at pg 121 says female cockroach cockroach produce
115, 121 produces 10 – 40 ootheca. ootheca.

Animal Fig 7.13 prostate gland in Now shown to be

Morphology 110 earthworm has been shown to be 20th segments
 lying in 17th to 19th segments.

Ovaries in cockroach are present

in 2 nd to 6th abdominal
segments. Whereas pg. no. 121
says it is mentioned that ovaries Now both texts say
in cockroach are present in 4th, cockroach are pres
114, 121 5th and 6th abdominal segments. 6th abdominal seg

Testes in cockroach are present

in 4 th to 6 abdominal segments.
th

Whereas pg. no. 121 says it is

mentioned that testes in Now both texts say
cockroach are present in 4th, 5th cockroach are pres
114, 121 abdominal segments. 6th abdominal seg

Size of chloroplast – length – 5 – Size of chloroplast

136 10mm and widt – 2 – 4mm 10mm and widt –

All prokaryotes have a cell wall

surrounding the cell membrane.
Whereas pg no. 20 says
Mycoplasma are organisms that
completely lack a cell wall. As
Mycoplasma are prokaryotic
organisms kept under Monera by
NCERT itself, the fact given on All prokaryotes ha
pg No. 127-128 should be surrounding the ce
127-128 rectified. except in mycopla

Exoskeletons of arthropods have

a complex polysaccharide called
chitin. These complex
polysaccharides are
149 heteropolymers. Homopolymers

Extra-CH2 group d
150 :Structure of glutamic acid Glutamic acid is C

Pg 160 – There are 21 types of

amino acids
Pg 147 – There are 20 types of There are 20 types
Cell 160, 147 amino acids acids

Pg 198 – Deficiency symptoms

of relatively immobile elements
appear first in young leaves –
e.g.,Sulphur& calcium
Pg 190 – Elements most readily Sulphur is mobile
mobilized are phosphorus, an immobile eleme
Plant Physiology 198 sulphur, nitrogen and potassium. places in the book.
 Some elements that are structural
components like calcium are not
remobilized.

259 Duodenum is ‘u’ shaped Duodenum is ‘c’ s

Substances are abs

help of the carrier
.They have deleted
that Fructose is ab
Digestion And Fructose is absorbed with the the help of the carr
Absorption 264 help of the carrier ions like Na+ . Na+ .

Heart diagram – pulmonary vein

Body Fluids And is actually pulmonary trunk
Circulation 283 (pulmonary artery). Corrected

Our lungs remove

Our lungs remove large amounts of CO2(approxima
Excretory System 298 of CO2(18 litres/day) minute)

Reabsorption is minimum in Reabsorption is m

294 Henle’s loop ascending limb.

There are wax secreting There are wax secr

Neural Control And sebaceous glands in the skin of in the skin of the p
Coordination 325 the pinna and the meatus. meatus.

NCERT Class 12 Biology Book Changes

Chapter Page Error Correction

Pg 13 – Haploid chromosome
number (n) in Onion is given as
16 Haploid chromosome
Pg 164 – onion cells have 14 number (n) in Onion is 8
164 chromosomes. and Diploid is 16.

Pg 5 – when offspring is
produced by a single parent with
or without the involvement of
gamete formation, the
reproduction is asexual.
Pg 15 – Asexual reproduction Asexual reproduction
Reproduction does not involve the formation or does not involve the
In Organisms 5 fusion of gametes. fusion of gametes.

Sexual ovule generally has a single ovule generally has a

Reproduction embryo sac formed from a single embryo sac
In Flowering 25 megaspore through reduction formed from a
Plants division. megaspore.

By end of about
approximately 24 weeks
Human End of 24 weeks is termed as ( end of second
Reproduction 54 second trimester trimester).

one of the contrasting

Principles Of traits selected in pea
Inheritance one of the contrasting traits plants by Mendel was
And selected in pea plants by Mendel constricted or inflated
Variations 70 was smooth or inflated pods. pods

Pg 105 – E.coli divides

Pg 105 – E.coli divides in 20 in 20 minutes
minutes Pg 106 – E.coli
Molecular Pg 106 – E.coli completes the completes the process of
Basis Of process of DNA replication DNA replication within
Inheritance 105 within 38 minutes. 18 minutes.

Short name of Glutamine is Short name of Glutamine

112 given as Gin is Gln

AIDS can be transmitted to one’s

life partner through sexual
contact while hepatitis B is Both can be transmitted
transmitted through infected through sexual contact or
162 blood infected blood.

Drugs like barbiturates,

amphetamines, benzodiazepines,
lysergic acid diethyl amides
(LSD), and other similar drugs,
that are normally used as
medicines to help patients cope
with mental illnesses like
Human Health depression and insomnia, are
And Disease 159 often abused. LSD deleted

Tissue culture somatic

Strategies For Under Tissue Culture somatic hybridisation between
Enhancement hybridisation between protoplasm of tomato
In Food protoplasm of tomato and potato and potato resulted in
Production 177 resulted in formation of tomato formation of pomato

The convention for naming the

restriction enzymes is the first
Biotechnology letter of the name comes from
Principles the genes and the second two
And Processes 195 from the species. Genus instead of genes
 Fig 12.3 – olour of A peptide
should be blue and that of the B
Biotechnology peptide should be green after
And being separated from the ‘C’ Correction in colors
Applications 211 peptide. done.

>100 percent Salinity of

222 hypersaline lagoons > 100 parts per thousand

Chemosynthetic bacteria have

been called autotrophs which fix
245 sun’s energy. Deleted

In primary succession in water, the

pioneers are the small
phytoplanktons, they are replaced
In primary succession of water,
with time by rooted-submerged
pioneers are the small plants, rooted-floating
phytoplanktons, they are angiosperms followed by free-
replaced by free floating floating plants, then reed-swamp,
angiosperms, then by rooted
marsh-meadow, scrub and finally
hydrophytes, sedges, grasses
the trees.
and The climax again
251 finally the trees. wouldbe a forest.

Organisms Feg 14.6 – Wrong arrow

And direction in carbon cycle from
Populations 253 burning forests and fuelwood Corrected

Text – levels of DDT in water

are given in units – parts per
billion (0.003 ppb) Diagram corrected to
Image – units – parts per million parts per billion (0.003
276 (0.003 ppm) ppb).

According to Euro III

Norms, the amount of
Sulphur is to be
Euro II norms data does not controlled at 350 parts
Environmental match with data available on per million in diesel and
Issues 273 internet at 150 ppm in petrol.

Impact of NCERT Textbook Change In

NEET 2019/2020
Changes in NCERT mean that new versions have correct information.
So those who have initially studied from an old NCERT can go
through new versions and new NCERT solutions. It is important to learn
correct facts.
By and large there is no impact on NEET 2019 or NEET 2020.
Syllabus of NEET exam shall remain same as before (check here).
Candidates should study all topics that are in official NEET exam
syllabus.