The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has reconstituted the Textbook Development Team (TDT) responsible for preparing new Political Science textbooks and related teaching-learning material for Classes 11 and 12.
The restructuring comes as NCERT continues the wider revision of school textbooks under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.
The new 20-member team is headed by academic and political analyst Sandeep Shastri. According to reports, the panel includes university academics, school teachers and NCERT representatives and has been tasked with developing textbooks that incorporate themes including cultural rootedness, Indian Knowledge Systems, equity and inclusion, value education and educational technology.
The move is significant because Political Science at the senior-secondary level covers some of the country’s most important constitutional, democratic, political and international affairs concepts.
Class 11 Political Science Textbook Targeted for November
The newly constituted team has been given an accelerated timeline for the revision process.
The Class 11 Political Science textbook is expected to be developed by November 2026, while the Class 12 textbook is scheduled for completion by July 2027, according to reports on the restructuring.
The timelines indicate that the revision of senior-secondary Political Science textbooks is being undertaken as part of the broader transition towards curriculum frameworks introduced after NEP 2020.
Students and teachers will therefore be watching the process closely, particularly for details on the chapters, themes and learning outcomes that will eventually feature in the revised books.
What Is the New NCERT Team Expected to Focus On?
The revised textbook development process is expected to follow several priorities already emerging in NCERT’s broader curriculum reform programme.
These include:
- Cultural rootedness
- Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS)
- Equity and inclusion
- Value education
- Educational technology
- Competency-based learning
- Critical thinking and problem-solving
- Interdisciplinary learning
NCERT’s broader textbook-development framework has emphasised competency-based and age-appropriate content, critical thinking, interdisciplinary approaches, digital resources, cultural rootedness and Indian Knowledge Systems.
For Political Science, these priorities could translate into greater emphasis on connecting constitutional and political concepts with contemporary Indian contexts while encouraging students to analyse institutions, political developments and democratic processes.
Existing Political Science Books and the Scale of the Revision
The current NCERT Political Science books for senior-secondary students were developed by teams that included prominent political scientists, academics, school teachers and NCERT personnel.
The existing Class 11 textbook Indian Constitution at Work, for example, lists a broad team of political science scholars and educators, while the Class 12 books include academics from institutions such as Jawaharlal Nehru University, the University of Delhi, Panjab University and other universities.
The reconstitution therefore represents more than a routine editorial exercise. It is part of a larger process through which NCERT is updating textbooks to reflect the country’s new school curriculum framework.
Political Science Curriculum Already Covers Major Contemporary Themes
The existing CBSE Political Science curriculum for Class 12 includes subjects such as regional aspirations, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, the Northeast, coalition politics, the political rise of backward classes, communalism, secularism, democracy and developments in Indian politics.
Any revision of the textbooks will consequently have implications for how senior-secondary students are introduced to India’s constitutional system, political institutions, democratic debates and post-Independence political developments.
The challenge for the new textbook team will be to combine curriculum reform with academic clarity, ensuring that students receive material that is accessible, evidence-based and suitable for classroom learning.
Debate Over the Composition of the New Panel
The reconstitution has also generated discussion because media reports have identified members of the new team as having links with the RSS, ABVP or organisations associated with that ecosystem.
Student organisation NSUI has criticised the composition of the panel, raising questions about academic neutrality and ideological diversity and calling for greater transparency over the members’ qualifications and the textbook-development process.
These concerns have made the composition of the NCERT Political Science textbook committee an important part of the public discussion surrounding the revision.
At the same time, the stated academic mandate of the team covers a wide range of areas, including inclusion, Indian Knowledge Systems, value education and educational technology. The final assessment of the revision will ultimately depend on the content and academic quality of the textbooks that emerge from the process.
Why the Revision Matters for Class 11 and 12 Students
Political Science is not simply a subject for examination purposes. At the senior-secondary level, it introduces students to ideas that underpin India’s democratic system.
Topics such as the Constitution, Parliament, federalism, elections, political parties, rights, social movements, regional aspirations and international politics help students understand how political institutions function and how citizens participate in democracy.
A revised NCERT Political Science textbook for Classes 11 and 12 will therefore have an influence beyond classroom learning. The books are likely to remain important reference material for students preparing for board examinations as well as competitive examinations.
For teachers, a revised textbook could also mean changes in lesson planning, classroom discussions, activities and assessment approaches.
NEP 2020 and the Larger NCERT Textbook Reform
The latest Political Science panel should be viewed within the wider NCERT textbook revision under NEP 2020.
The government has previously outlined a phased approach to developing new textbooks, with Classes 9 and 11 being developed during 2025-26 and Classes 10 and 12 during 2026-27. The stated approach includes competency-based learning, critical thinking, multidisciplinary approaches, digital resources, cultural rootedness and Indian Knowledge Systems.
NCERT has also indicated that senior-secondary teaching-learning material is being developed across subjects including History, Geography, Political Science and Psychology, with cross-cutting themes such as equity and inclusion, innovative pedagogy, value education, ICT, Indian Knowledge Systems and environmental education.
This places the new Political Science textbooks within a much larger transformation of India’s school curriculum.
A Significant Step in India’s School Curriculum Reform
The reconstitution of the NCERT Class 11 and 12 Political Science textbook development team marks another important stage in India’s ongoing school curriculum transformation.
The new books are expected to reflect the priorities of NEP 2020 and NCF-SE 2023, while introducing approaches centred on competency-based learning, cultural rootedness, Indian Knowledge Systems and inclusion.
At the same time, the composition of the panel has prompted debate about representation, academic independence and ideological diversity. The quality of the eventual textbooks will therefore be closely scrutinised by students, teachers, academics and policymakers.
For now, the key development is clear: NCERT is moving ahead with a major revision of senior-secondary Political Science textbooks, with the Class 11 book targeted for completion in November 2026 and the Class 12 book expected by July 2027.
