Kolkata: The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) introduced ‘entrepreneurship' as a new subject at the ISC (Classes XI–XII) level, the council announced in a circular on Friday. The notice also stated that the subject ‘commerce' has been renamed ‘business studies'.
Students appearing for the ISC 2028 examination can opt for ‘entrepreneurship' as a new subject. The notice said, "All stakeholders are made aware of the changes in the regulations that are in place from the examination year 2028 onwards." The notice was released ahead of the start of the board examinations to allow students to finalise their subject choices after reviewing the regulations and syllabus, and planning accordingly.
CISCE CEO and secretary Joseph Emmanuel, during his recent visit to Kolkata for a principals' meet, focused on skill-based learning and hinted at preparing a curriculum in which learning is connected with real life and prioritises hands-on experience.
The council is focusing on real-life applications, shifting from rote learning to application-based assessment aligned with NEP 2020. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) introduced this subject in the 2024-25 academic session.
School principals welcomed the decision, saying the new subject will allow students to apply their skills, knowledge, and innovation to start something new. St Augustine's Day School, Shyamnagar, principal Rodney Borneo said, "The revision is very logical. It brings coherence to the subject, and the introduction of ‘entrepreneurship' ensures that we study subjects not only from a practical point of view but also for their practical implications."
Rammohan Mission School principal Sujoy Biswas said, "It is a positive approach by the council so that students can get an idea of start-up businesses. The council already introduced subjects such as fashion designing, robotics, and artificial intelligence, and now students are studying law at the school level as well."
The notice also clarified that students can opt for only 2 modern foreign languages from Group I and Group II, but not from Group III, to ensure a balance in subject choices. It specified that, apart from English, ICSE students can opt for a maximum of 2 foreign languages. There are revisions in 10 subjects at the ISC level and 11 subjects at the ICSE level for the examination year 2028.