New Delhi, August 20, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Opposition on Thursday criticised the Centre over the reconstitution of the NCERT team tasked with developing Political Science textbooks for Classes 11 and 12, alleging that individuals linked to the RSS and ABVP were being brought into the education system.
The controversy follows the National Council of Educational Research and Training’s (NCERT) notification of a 20-member Textbook Development Team (TDT) on August 14. The panel has been tasked with preparing new textbooks while incorporating themes including cultural rootedness, Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), equity and inclusion, value education and educational technology.
Opposition leaders questioned the inclusion of members they alleged had links with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), its student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and other Sangh-affiliated organisations.
RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha said the government was ignoring the concerns of a younger generation seeking an inclusive education system, a credible examination process and better employment opportunities.
“Why shouldn’t we raise questions?” Jha said, alleging that the inclusion of people associated with the RSS was an attempt to influence education policy and “playing with the future of the country”.
Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar said the development was consistent with what he described as an attempt by the RSS-BJP to gain control over institutions across the country.
DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan also alleged that the RSS and BJP were seeking to alter established institutions and systems, saying they did not want a “scientific” approach.
Congress leader Ajay Kumar Lallu alleged that BJP governments at the Centre and in states had appointed people associated with the RSS to important institutional positions.
Congress MP Jebi Mather said her party had repeatedly opposed what she described as the increasing influence of the RSS in educational institutions. She cited the Congress’ objection to the participation of a vice-chancellor in an RSS programme in Kerala.
BJP leader T.R. Sriniwas rejected the Opposition’s criticism, arguing that previous UPA governments had similarly appointed Left-leaning academics to institutions and textbook development bodies.
He alleged that NCERT textbooks during the UPA-I and UPA-II governments had promoted a “Nehru-Gandhi narrative” in the teaching of history.
The exchange comes amid a wider political debate over the direction of school education and the role of ideological perspectives in the development of curriculum and textbooks.
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