 "DU Executive Council's curriculum changes spark protest from faculty")
Delhi University's Executive Council (EC), in its 1,275th meeting on Friday, approved sweeping changes to the syllabus across departments including Psychology, Sociology, and English. It also cleared new academic programmes in journalism and nuclear medicine, introduced uniform rules on teacher seniority, and took key administrative decisions.
Curriculum revamp: Psychology and Sociology
The elective paper Psychology of Peace will no longer include case studies on conflict. Instead, it will incorporate Indian epics to illustrate peace and conflict resolution. A unit on dating apps has also been removed from the Relationship Science paper.
In Sociology, foundational theorists such as Karl Marx and Thomas Robert Malthus have been dropped from the Population and Society paper. A section on Sociology of Food has also been omitted. The Sociology of Law paper will now focus more on Indian authors, particularly those writing on religion.
Faculty backlash over content overhaul
The meeting saw sharp opposition from elected EC members, who decried the revisions as “ideological interference” and an erosion of academic independence. Particularly contested were the removals of case studies on Kashmir, Palestine, India-Pakistan tensions, and the Northeast, which were replaced with references from religious texts such as the Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita.
EC member Rudrashish Chakraborty, Associate Professor at Kirori Mal College, called the changes “an abject compromise on course quality” and “a complete disregard for disciplinary expertise.” He warned that such ideological impositions could diminish Delhi University’s global academic credibility.
New academic programmes and structural reforms
The university will introduce a two-year M.A. in Journalism, to be offered by both the Hindi and English departments. A BSc in Nuclear Medicine Technology will also be launched at the Army Hospital (R&R) under the Faculty of Medical Sciences, specifically for qualified Armed Forces Medical Services personnel.
The EC also approved a uniform policy for determining teacher seniority—prioritising age when qualifications are equal, followed by Academic Performance Indicator (API) scores.
EC member Aman Kumar told PTI that Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh has constituted a nine-member committee to examine a Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) notification mandating periodic reviews of employees aged 50 and above, which may result in compulsory retirement. The panel will assess its impact on DU staff.
NEP rollout and national alignment
Registrar Vikas Gupta addressed queries around the new four-year undergraduate structure introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. He assured members that students will benefit from multiple exit and re-entry options, with official certifications at each stage.
The meeting began with a tribute to the victims of the recent Pahalgam terror attack. A resolution was passed expressing support for the Centre’s counterterrorism initiative, Operation Sindoor.
Academic autonomy in focus
Despite the administration’s emphasis on modernisation and national priorities, critics warned the curriculum overhaul could undermine the university’s academic standing.
“These decisions may serve short-term political objectives, but they will harm Delhi University’s long-term academic integrity,” Chakraborty said.
(With inputs from PTI)