NCERT reconstitutes political science textbook panel with focus on Indian knowledge systems

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has reconstituted its Textbook Development Team for Classes 11 and 12 political science, with a mandate to integrate themes such as cultural rootedness, Indian knowledge systems, and inclusion into the revised curriculum. The team has been given a deadline to finalise the Class 11 textbook by November and the Class 12 textbook by July next year.

The panel will be chaired by Sandeep Shastri, an academic and political analyst who serves as vice-chancellor of Nitte, a deemed university based in Karnataka. Shastri is known for his work on electoral politics and federalism and has been involved in multiple educational initiatives.

According to a PTI report, the team comprises several academics and educationists with documented past associations with organisations such as the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). One such member is Yadunath Deshpande, a senior consultant at the Ministry of Education. ABVP records identify him as having previously served as the organisation's joint state organising secretary for Maharashtra and later as an organising secretary in the Mumbai-Konkan region. His LinkedIn profile also mentions his role as a political consultant for the BJP.

Another member, Prashant Divekar, has been associated with Pune-based Jnana Prabodhini, an institution founded by Vinayak Vishwanath, who was an RSS member and pracharak. In his profile on the National Council for Teacher Education's National Mission for Mentoring portal, Divekar describes his approach as being "rooted in Bhartiya educational philosophy" and refers to his contribution to the National Curriculum Framework.

The panel also includes Vandana Mishra, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and former national secretary of the ABVP, along with Ravi Rameshchandra Shukla, an associate professor at JNU whose academic work includes research on cultural and spiritual nationalism.

Other members include academics from institutions such as JNU, National Law University, Delhi University, IGNOU, Pondicherry University, and Utkal University, besides NCERT officials and school educators. The mix of members reflects an attempt to bring diverse perspectives to the textbook revision process.

An NCERT notification stated that the team would consult various curricular groups and review existing textbooks to ensure the integration of themes such as "cultural rootedness, Indian knowledge systems, inclusion, educational technology, assessment, etc." The aim is to promote interdisciplinary connections and multilingual perspectives, aligning with the broader objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The reconstitution of the team has drawn attention to the ideological backgrounds of its members, with some academic circles expressing curiosity about the selection criteria. However, the NCERT has not issued a detailed explanation of the choice of members. The process is part of an ongoing curriculum revision exercise that has seen changes across multiple subjects at the school level.

The new team is expected to work in phases, with consultations involving stakeholders such as teachers, students, parents, and subject experts. The final textbooks will be used in schools affiliated with the CBSE and other boards that follow the NCERT syllabus.

Political science textbooks have historically been a subject of public debate in India, as they shape students' understanding of the Constitution, democratic institutions, and national identity. The current revision is part of a larger exercise under the NEP 2020, which emphasises the need to make education more rooted in Indian cultural contexts while promoting critical thinking.