Delhi University abruptly cancelled a long-standing DSE Sociology colloquium on ‘Land, Property and Democratic Rights’ citing “administrative reasons.” The move prompted convenor Nandini Sundar’s resignation and sparked criticism over academic freedom, contrasting with DU’s promotion of the ‘Rashtriya Godhan Summit’ focusing on cow-based innovations.
A seminar titled ‘Land, Property and Democratic Rights’ which was scheduled to be held today, 31st October, Friday, at 3 p.m. as part of the Department of Sociology’s ‘Friday Colloquium’ series at the M N Srinivas Seminar Room in DSE—was arbitrarily cancelled by the University of Delhi’s administration without any formal reason. This academic seminar is known to be part of one of the longest-running colloquiums at the Delhi School of Economics (DSE). As reported by The Wire, the direction to cancel the event came in a WhatsApp message from the DU registrar, Vikas Gupta, to the head of the Sociology department:
“Good Morning Ma’am. Due to administrative reasons, please cancel the lecture programme scheduled for Friday the 31st October 2025. A compliance report may also be submitted immediately. Thanks.. Regards…Vikas”
Sociologist Nandini Sundar, the convenor of the colloquium, expressed her dissent on Facebook with a post that read, “ Since I can no longer guarantee the intellectual integrity of the research colloquium and that it will not be cancelled arbitrarily at the last minute, I have resigned as convenor of the colloquium.” Her post further read that,
No reasons for the cancellation were given, in writing or otherwise, so we can only speculate that the RSS-led government is scared of any discussion around land and democratic rights.
The severity of the issue and her distress over not paying heed to the sanctity of the event was seen as she further wrote,
“ The Friday Colloquium is among the oldest institutions of the Department of Sociology, at the Delhi School of Economics, and has functioned independently through the Emergency and all the other decades since the department was set up. The colloquium is not like any other seminar being cancelled – something we have sadly become inured to in the last decade. It was part of our teaching practice and graduate students are required to attend. It was a space for serious discussion where our students interacted with some very fine minds, and speakers came away impressed by the quality of our students.”
On this, Vice chancellor Yogesh Singh told the Indian Express that,
“We have cancelled the event because no prior permission was taken (by the department). The university has no problem with the tradition of the colloquium being followed… we just wanted to be informed.”
During this, DU directed college principals to share with faculty members and students the details of the ‘Rashtriya Godhan Summit’, a five-day event focused on the “welfare of cows and promotion of cow-based sustainable innovations”. The contrast between the two communications “highlights a conscious move away from scientific temper and academic integrity towards the promotion of an unscientific and regressive political agenda,” said Abha Dev Habib, professor, Miranda House, as reported by The Hindu.
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Image Credits: Nikita Bhatia (2017 report), DU Beat
Shreya Bhushan
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