The National Council of Educational Research and Training, known as NCERT, has set up a new team to write Political Science textbooks for students in classes 11 and 12. This team is led by a teacher and political expert named Sandeep Shastri, Vice President of Karnataka-based deemed university Nitte.. Their main task is to add new ideas to the textbooks, such as focusing on Indian culture, teaching about the country's own knowledge systems, and ensuring everyone feels included in the curriculum. The team needs to finish the class 11 book by November, and the class 12 book should be ready by next July, marking an important update for schools.
This new group is made up of many teachers and experts from different colleges and universities across India. Among the members of the textbook development team are at least four academics and educationists with direct or indirect documented backgrounds in the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the BJP. Yadunath Deshpande, Prashant Divekar, Vandana Mishra, and Ravi Rameshchandra Shukla, who all bring their own experiences to the project. Along with these individuals, other members include academics from several institutions, including JNU, National Law University, Delhi University, IGNOU, Pondicherry University and Utkal University, besides NCERT officials and school educators are working together to complete these new textbooks, which aim to change how political science is taught in schools.
What Will Change in the New Books?
The NCERT notification stated that the team would consult various curricular groups and review textbooks to make sure the integration of themes such as "cultural rootedness, Indian knowledge systems, inclusion, educational technology, assessment, etc," while promoting interdisciplinary connections and multilingual perspectives. This means students will get to read about ancient Indian science, math, art, and famous personalities.
The new books will also focus on a few other important things:
- Indian Culture: Learning about different festivals, traditions, and the history of the country.
- Including Everyone: Making sure the books are fair and helpful for every background.
- Technology: Using computers and smart devices to make learning easier.
- Many Languages: Helping students learn subjects in their own mother tongue and other Indian languages.
The teachers will work together, and check all the chapters carefully. Soon, students will have new textbooks for learning.
