Class 8 · English · New NCERT
Chapter 6: Verghese Kurien — I Too Had A Dream
"Verghese Kurien — I Too Had A Dream" is a piece on the man known as the father of India's White Revolution, and at about nineteen pages it is a long chapter. The preface says it encourages young people to pursue personal success while also contributing to the greater good of society, and reinforces serving one's community with honesty and perseverance. Students read a first-person style account, discuss the idea of working for others and think about how a dream can change lives. It links with the Social Science chapters on economic life and with the Class 7 Vocational Education projects on farm animals.
This is chapter 6 of 15 in Poorvi, the Class 8 English textbook, in Unit 2, Values and Dispositions, and begins on page 82 of the printed 2026-27 book. It follows "Somebody's Mother" and is followed by "The Case of the Fifth Word".
Language learning here is holistic. While working on "Verghese Kurien — I Too Had A Dream", children listen, speak, read and write in a connected way, using the book's sections (the Let us discuss, Let us think and reflect, Let us learn, Let us listen, Let us speak, Let us write and Let us explore activities) so that every task has a clear purpose. Pictures are part of the text, so a child who cannot yet read every word can still understand the scene, say what is happening and take part. Vocabulary is meant to arrive in context, and mistakes in grammar or pronunciation are treated as a normal step on the way to fluency.
A simple way to support "Verghese Kurien — I Too Had A Dream" is to talk about it in the language you use at home first, then pick out a few English words together. Let the child draw a picture from the lesson and label it, or act out a part of it for the family. Short, cheerful sessions work better than long ones.
This overview is written from the 2026-27 textbook's Contents page, its preface and the chapter title, to help families and teachers prepare. Please read the chapter itself for exact content, activities and exercises.