NCERT has formed a new Textbook Development Team for Class 11 and 12 political science books. At least four members reportedly have links to RSS, ABVP or BJP. The panel, headed by Sandeep Shastri, will revise textbooks with focus on cultural rootedness, Indian knowledge systems, inclusion and technology-based learning.

NCERT Revamps Classes 11, 12 Political Science Textbook Team; 4 Members Linked To RSS | AI Representational Image

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has reconstituted the Textbook Development Team for Class 11 and 12 political science, with at least four members having direct or indirect links to the RSS, its affiliate Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), or the BJP.

The team has been tasked with preparing the Class 11 textbook by November and the Class 12 book by July next year. Academic and political analyst Sandeep Shastri, Vice President of Karnataka-based deemed university Nitte, will head the panel.

According to an NCERT notification, the books will seek to integrate themes such as cultural rootedness, Indian knowledge systems, inclusion, educational technology and assessment.

Four members linked to RSS affiliates

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Among the members is Yadunath Deshpande, now a senior consultant with the Ministry of Education, who has previously held organisational posts in the ABVP, including joint state organising secretary for Maharashtra and organising secretary in its Mumbai-Konkan structure. His LinkedIn profile also describes him as a political consultant for the BJP.

Prashant Divekar has a longstanding association with Pune-based Jnana Prabodhini, described as an RSS-affiliated institution founded in 1962 by RSS member and pracharak Vinayak Vishwanath. 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 says he has contributed to the National Curriculum Framework.

Vandana Mishra, Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Centre for Political Studies, is a former national secretary of the ABVP.

Ravi Rameshchandra Shukla, Associate Professor at JNU’s Centre for Comparative Politics and Political Theory, has served on the editorial board of the Indian Journal of Democratic Governance, published by the Indian Institute of Democratic Leadership-Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini, described as an RSS affiliate. Devendra Fadnavis became its president in 2021.

Shukla has also undertaken research on cultural and spiritual nationalism and is principal investigator of an ICSSR-funded JNU project titled "The Role of Fests in Shaping of Spiritual and Cultural Nationalism of Bharat: A Study of Kumbha and Magh Mela".

Academics from several institutions included

Other members include Prakash Kandpal from JNU, Needhi Gupta from National Law University, Chetan Singhai from Chanakya University, Sukanshika Vatsa from Delhi University, Satish Kumar from IGNOU, Deevanshu Shrivastava from National University of Study and Research in Law, Pranav Gupta from Jindal Global Law School, Nanda Kishor from Pondicherry University and Swapna Prabhu from Utkal University.

The team also includes NCERT’s Savita Sagar, M N Suresh Kumar from Bengaluru-based Government First Grade College, Diana Isabel from Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation School and N Bharani from SHVNM Government PU College for Girls.

NCERT’s Vanthangpui Khobung and Subhash Singh will serve as member coordinator and co-coordinator, respectively.

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Books to integrate cross-cutting themes

The NCERT notification said the team would seek guidance from curricular area groups dealing with social science, languages, Indian knowledge systems, environmental education, innovative pedagogy and teaching-learning material.

It will also consult other curricular area groups to maintain links with other grades, promote interdisciplinarity and incorporate multilingual perspectives.

"Review of each of the textbooks will take place to oversee the integration of cross-cutting themes, such as cultural rootedness, Indian knowledge systems, inclusion, educational technology, assessment, etc," the notification issued by NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani said.

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