NEW DELHI: NCERT has reconstituted the team tasked with preparing political science textbooks for Classes XI and XII, bringing together university academics, schoolteachers and its own faculty members, with the first of the two books scheduled to be ready by Nov.The 20-member panel includes faculty members from JNU, Delhi University, Ignou, National Law University Delhi, Jindal Global Law School, Pondicherry University and Utkal University, schoolteachers and NCERT academics, with at least four of its members known for links, past or present, with organisations linked to RSS or BJP.They are former ABVP national secretary and JNU professor Vandana Mishra; educationist Yadunath Deshpande, who has held organisational positions in ABVP and has described himself professionally as a BJP political consultant; Prashant Divekar of Pune-based Jnana Prabodhini; and JNU academic Ravi Rameshchandra Shukla, who has been associated with the editorial board of a journal published by Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini-linked Indian Institute of Democratic Leadership.The composition of the panel, however, is considerably broader, with it also having Prakash Kandpal and Ravi Shukla from JNU, Needhi Gupta from NLU Delhi, Chetan Singhai from Chanakya University, Sukanshika Vatsa from Delhi University and Satish Kumar from Ignou, among others.
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The Textbook Development Team (TDT), headed by political analyst and academic Sandeep Shastri, vice-president of Nitte (Deemed to be University), has been asked to finalise the Class XI textbook by Nov 30, 2026, and the Class XII book by July 30, 2027.NCERT said the reconstitution of the team was intended to “further strengthen and streamline” preparation of the two textbooks. The final teaching-learning material will be approved, published and distributed by NCERT.According to NCERT’s Aug 14 notification, the team will work under National Curriculum Framework for School Education, 2023, and seek guidance from curricular groups dealing with social science, languages, Indian Knowledge Systems, environmental education and pedagogy. The books will also be reviewed for themes that include cultural rootedness, inclusion, educational technology, assessment and Indian Knowledge Systems.