RSS-linked academics in NCERT textbook panel
The NCERT has reconstituted its textbook development team for political science, appointing several academics with documented ties to the RSS and BJP. The move is part of an effort to integrate Indian knowledge systems and cultural values into the national curriculum.
Why it matters
The composition of textbook panels is a sensitive political issue in India, reflecting broader debates over the influence of ideology on national education standards.
The NCERT has reconstituted the textbook development team for classes 11 and 12 political science with a mandate to integrate cultural rootedness, Indian knowledge systems and inclusion, with at least four of the members having direct or indirect links with the RSS.
The team has been asked to develop the class 11 textbook by November and the class 12 book by July next year.
The textbook team will be led by academic and political analyst Sandeep Shastri, vice-president of Karnataka-based deemed university Nitte.
Among the members of the textbook development team are at least four academics and educationists with direct or indirect documented backgrounds in the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the BJP.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in