The National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC), which overlooks the formulation of latest textbooks, has been reconstituted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), following Supreme Court’s intervention on a piece of “corruption in the judiciary,” within the now discontinued Class 8 social science textbook.
In an April 2 notification, accessed by The Hindu, the NCERT acknowledged that it had reconstituted the 22-member excessive energy committee, which now contains IIT Madras Director V. Kamakoti; and Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) Chairman Raghuvendra Tanwar; R. Venkata Rao, former Vice-Chancellor of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU); and Amarendra Prasad Behera, Joint Director-in-Charge, Central Institute of Educational Technology, NCERT. The committee now consists of 20 members
Three members — Michel Danino, former visitor professor at IIT Gandhinagar; M.D. Srinivas, chairman of the Centre for Policy Studies, Chennai and the late Bibek Debroy, former chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (EAC), have been faraway from the NSTC.
Mr. Danino’s removing from the NSTC comes after the apex courtroom’s order stating that the Centre, States, union territories, universities, and public establishments ought to dissociate from three members of the textbook improvement staff who drafted the Class 8 social science textbook chapter on the judiciary beneath query.
Mr. Danino in his affidavit filed on April 4 earlier than the apex courtroom, a replica of which was accessed by The Hindu, has acknowledged that implication by the NCERT that chapter in query was drafted solely by three people alone (together with Mr. Danino) provides an inaccurate image and the textbook was the results of a “collective and collaborative” course of.
“A Google group with over 40 members was established early on, as a well-oiled mechanism to overcome geographical constraints and regularly share and discuss drafts across Curricular Area Group – Social Science members and others. This group was used to share successive versions of the chapter on the judiciary on 1.09.2025, 23.10.2025, 4.11.2025 and 3.12.2025,” Mr. Danino acknowledged in his affidavit.
The Supreme Court in February had taken up suo motu cognisance of the Class 8 social science textbook launched in February which mentioned a piece on “corruption in the judiciary,” and later imposed a “complete blanket ban,” on use of bodily or on-line copies of the mentioned textbook.
The NCERT has reconstituted the committee practically three years after first constituting it in July 2023. “In view of the requirement of strengthening the said committee through necessary updates, including additional members, the reconstitution of the NSTC has been undertaken,” the notification mentions.
The committee is empowered to develop the varsity syllabus, and teaching-learning materials, together with textbooks for Grades 3 to 12 (and if required to appropriately revise the present textbooks of Grades 1 and a couple of to make sure clean transition from Grade 2 to three), the notification states.
The NCERT has retained former National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) Chancellor M.C. Pant because the chairperson, together with Princeton University math professor Manjul Bhargava because the co-chairperson within the reconstituted NSTC. Other 14 members of the previous committee, together with Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Murty, singer Shankar Mahadevan, Chamu Krishna Shastry, chairman, Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti, EAC-PM member Sanjeev Sanyal have additionally been retained.
Since its formulation, the NSTC has been tasked with creating the varsity syllabus and new textbooks, in keeping with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023.
The first notification in July 2023, which formulated the NSTC, additionally talked about formation of curricular space teams (CAGs) with Mr. Danino heading the CAG for Social Science. The present notification which mentions reconstitution of the NSTC doesn’t point out CAGs.
The new notification additionally states that the NSTC might be assisted by textbook improvement groups in creating syllabi and textbooks for every topic.
“The NSTC will be free to invite other experts for advice, consultation, and support as and when required in consultation with the NCERT. The NSTC will be assisted by a programme office set up by the NCERT, and the NCERT shall provide all necessary expertise and support as per the needs of the NSTC,” it provides.
Published – April 07, 2026 10:09 pm IST
