NCERT forms new panel for Political Science textbooks amid controversy

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has reconstituted a 20-member panel to develop new Political Science textbooks for Classes 11 and 12. The revision is part of the National Education Policy 2020 and aims to integrate themes such as “cultural rootedness” and “Indian Knowledge Systems.” The panel is led by academic Sandeep Shastri.

The move has sparked significant political controversy. Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, have accused the government of ideological interference. Critics allege that at least four members of the panel have documented links to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) or its student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Concerns have been raised regarding the potential impact on the presentation of secularism, democracy, and the Indian Constitution.

Former NCERT Director J.S. Rajput defended the panel, calling the criticism an “absurd protest.” He argued that an academic's association with the RSS does not necessarily dictate their ideological output and noted that NCERT staff remain responsible for the final content. The Class 11 textbook is scheduled for completion by November, with the Class 12 version due by July next year.