Who Is Writing India’s Political Science Textbooks? NSUI Flags RSS Links In NCERT Panel

The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) has criticised the reconstituted NCERT Textbook Development Team for Classes 11 and 12 political science textbooks, raising concerns over the alleged links of some members with the RSS and its affiliated organisations.

The Congress-affiliated student body said the presence of individuals associated with the RSS and its student wing, the ABVP, raises questions about academic neutrality and ideological diversity in the preparation of school textbooks.

The NCERT panel has been tasked with developing the Class 11 textbook by November 2026 and the Class 12 textbook by July 2027. Its mandate includes incorporating themes such as cultural rootedness, Indian Knowledge Systems and inclusion, while taking guidance from curricular groups dealing with social sciences, languages, environmental education and pedagogy.

The panel is headed by academic and political analyst Sandeep Shastri, vice-president of Karnataka-based Nitte, and includes academics and educationists from institutions such as Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, National Law University and IGNOU.

NSUI has specifically questioned the backgrounds of several members. It cited Yadunath Deshpande, a senior consultant with the Ministry of Education, for his reported organisational association with the ABVP, and Prashant Divekar for his association with Pune-based Jnana Prabodhini, an institution linked to the RSS.

The organisation also flagged Vandana Mishra, a JNU professor and former ABVP national secretary, and JNU associate professor Ravi Rameshchandra Shukla, who has served on the editorial board of a journal published by an organisation associated with the RSS.

NSUI national president Vinod Jakhar demanded that the panel be reconstituted with independent scholars, constitutional experts and experienced teachers. He also sought public disclosure of members’ qualifications and selection criteria, along with independent academic review and public consultation of the draft textbooks.

The controversy comes as the new books are expected to address key themes including the Constitution, democracy, fundamental rights, secularism, federalism and social justice, making the panel’s composition a matter of wider public debate.