The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has established a fresh panel with the purpose of shaping the curriculum and educational materials for students in grades 3rd to 12th. Headed by MC Pant, chancellor of the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), this committee, comprising 19 members, is known as the National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC). Distinguished personalities, including Sudha Murthy, renowned author and chairperson of Infosys Foundation, Shankar Mahadevan, a notable singer and Sanjeev Sanyal, an economist who serves on the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, have been selected to contribute to this initiative, as per an internal memo from NCERT cited by HT.
The primary objective of the NSTC is to harmonise the curriculum with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE), which was developed under the guidance of the steering committee led by K Kasturirangan, as a crucial component of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Although the final version of the NCF-SE has already been presented to the Union Ministry of Education, its public release is still pending, having been unveiled in draft form in April.
The NSTC’s responsibilities encompass the formulation of school syllabi, along with the creation of teaching and learning materials tailored for students in grades 3rd to 12th. Additionally, this committee will undertake the task of appropriately revising existing textbooks for students in classes 1st and 2nd, ensuring a seamless alignment with the guidelines outlined in the NCF-SE. The internal note emphasised that “The NCERT will be responsible for publishing and distributing the textbooks and other learning materials developed and finalised by NSTC,” as reported by HT.
The committee’s composition showcases a diverse array of expertise. Co-chairing the committee is Manjul Bhargav, a mathematics professor at Princeton University. Other esteemed members include Sujatha Ramdorai, a distinguished mathematician, U Vimal Kumar, a notable badminton player, MD Srinivas, chairperson of the Centre for Policy Studies, and Chamu Krishna Shastry, chairperson of Bhartiya Bhasha Samiti.
To ensure a comprehensive approach, the establishment of Curriculum Area Groups (CAGs) will play a pivotal role. These groups, consisting of subject matter experts, will collaborate with the NSTC to shape the content of textbooks and educational materials across a range of subjects outlined in the syllabus. A total of 11 CAGs will be assembled, each dedicated to one of the 11 domains identified in NCF-SE, encompassing fields such as mathematics, science, physical education and social sciences. According to Chamu Krishna Shastry, the initiative will involve over 1,000 subject experts who will contribute to the development of the curriculum and the design of textbooks, as reported by HT.
The committee’s objective is to finalise its endeavours by the culmination of the current academic year, thereby ensuring the timely preparation of new textbooks well ahead of the next educational session. Providing valuable support to the NSTC’s endeavours is the National Oversight Committee (NOC), under the guidance of Jagbir Singh, the chancellor of the Central University of Punjab. A senior official from NCERT stated that the NOC will offer comprehensive guidance to the members of the NSCT, as well as other stakeholders including the CAGs, to ensure a seamless alignment of textbooks, syllabi, and teaching-learning materials with the NCF-SE.