NCERT Forms New Team for Political Science Textbooks with Cultural Focus

The NCERT has established a new Textbook Development Team for Political Science aimed at integrating cultural roots and Indian knowledge systems. Led by Sandeep Shastri, the team includes members with ties to the RSS and is tasked with developing textbooks for Classes 11 and 12. The initiative emphasizes inclusivity and interdisciplinary connections, with a review process to ensure the integration of key educational themes. This move has sparked discussions about the influence of cultural perspectives in educational materials.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 19, 2026, 18:14 IST

New Textbook Development Initiative

Representational image of Assam HSLC students in a classroom (Photo: @CMOfficeAssam/X)

New Delhi, Aug 19: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has established a new Textbook Development Team for Political Science aimed at integrating cultural roots, Indian knowledge systems, and inclusivity. Notably, at least four members of this team have connections to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The team is tasked with creating the Class 11 Political Science textbook by November and the Class 12 version by July of the following year.

Leading the team is Sandeep Shastri, an academic and political analyst, who serves as the vice president of Nitte, a deemed university in Karnataka.

Among the team members are several educators with documented ties to the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Yadunath Deshpande, currently a senior consultant at the Ministry of Education, has a significant history with the ABVP, having previously held the position of joint state organizing secretary for Maharashtra. His LinkedIn profile also indicates his role as a political consultant for the BJP.

Prashant Divekar is associated with Jnana Prabodhini, an institution linked to the RSS, founded by RSS member Vinayak Vishwanath in 1962.

Divekar's profile on the National Council for Teacher Education's portal highlights his commitment to 'Bhartiya educational philosophy' and his contributions to the National Curriculum Framework.

Vandana Mishra, a professor at JNU's Centre for Political Studies, has previously served as the national secretary of the ABVP.

Ravi Rameshchandra Shukla, an Associate Professor at JNU, has been involved with the editorial board of the Indian Journal of Democratic Governance, which is published by an RSS affiliate. His research focuses on cultural and spiritual nationalism.

The team also includes 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.

Additional members are Savita Sagar from NCERT, M N Suresh Kumar from a Government First Grade College in Bengaluru, Diana Isabel from a Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation School, and N. Bharani from SHVNM Government PU College for Girls.

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

As per an NCERT notification, the team will receive guidance from various curricular area groups focusing on social sciences, languages, Indian knowledge systems, environmental education, innovative teaching methods, and learning materials.

They will also collaborate with other curricular groups to ensure interdisciplinary connections and the integration of multilingual perspectives.

"Each textbook will undergo a review process to ensure the incorporation of themes such as cultural rootedness, Indian knowledge systems, inclusivity, educational technology, and assessment," stated NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani in the notification.