Archive · 20 Aug 2026
Congress Slams RSS Links in NCERT Political Science Textbook Team
NCERT is creating new political science textbooks for Classes 11 and 12.
It has appointed a team of academics and educationists to write them.
Congress says at least four members have links to the RSS or related organisations.
The party worries this could influence how political history and ideas are taught.
Congress calls this process “sanghification” of education.
NCERT says the team should include Indian knowledge systems, cultural rootedness and inclusion.
The team will also consider multilingual and interdisciplinary perspectives.
The Class 11 book is due by November, while the Class 12 book is due by July next year.
NCERT has reconstituted the Class 11 and 12 political science textbook development team.
Congress alleges at least four team members have links to the RSS ecosystem.
The party says the appointments reflect educational centralisation, communalisation and “sanghification.”
The team must develop the Class 11 textbook by November and Class 12 book by July next year.
Led by Sandeep Shastri, the team will address cultural rootedness, Indian knowledge systems and inclusion.
- Who
- The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), its textbook team, and the Congress party.
- What
- NCERT reconstituted the team responsible for developing Class 11 and 12 political science textbooks, prompting criticism from Congress over members’ alleged RSS links.
- When
- The Class 11 textbook is due by November, and the Class 12 textbook by July next year.
- Where
- The team includes members from institutions including Jawaharlal Nehru University, National Law University, NCERT and universities across India.
- Why
- NCERT said the team would integrate cultural rootedness, Indian knowledge systems and inclusion; Congress said the move could lead to ideological rewriting of textbooks.
Congress’s criticism
NCERT’s stated mandate
Ideological influence
Congress’s criticism
Congress alleges that at least four team members have direct or indirect links with the RSS, ABVP or related organisations, and says this reflects ideological rewriting of education.
NCERT’s stated mandate
NCERT’s notification describes the team’s mandate as integrating cultural rootedness, Indian knowledge systems and inclusion; it does not address the Congress allegations in the article.
Educational priorities
Congress’s criticism
Congress says Indian education is suffering from privatisation or commercialisation, centralisation and “sanghification” or communalisation.
NCERT’s stated mandate
The team is instructed to ensure links across grades, interdisciplinary connections and multilingual perspectives, while consulting multiple curricular area groups.
- Textbooks covered
- Political science textbooks for Classes 11 and 12
- Team leader
- Sandeep Shastri, vice president of Nitte, a Karnataka-based deemed university
- Class 11 deadline
- November
- Class 12 deadline
- July next year
- Congress criticism
- The party described the process as “sanghification” and alleged RSS-linked influence.
- NCERT’s stated focus
- Cultural rootedness, Indian knowledge systems and inclusion
- Additional consultation
- The team will consult curricular groups on social science, languages, environmental education, pedagogy and teaching-learning materials.