Delhi University’s History Department has challenged the composition and functioning of an Expert Committee reviewing its postgraduate syllabus, raising concerns over faculty participation and proposed changes to established academic papers.
The Department of History at the University of Delhi has raised concerns over the review of its postgraduate third-semester syllabus, alleging that its Head of Department was excluded from key decisions taken by a Vice-Chancellor-appointed Expert Committee. The department has also challenged the committee’s recommendation to drop a long-running paper, arguing that the decision lacks an adequate academic basis.
In a Department Council meeting held on 10 September, Head of Department Anirudh Deshpande told faculty members that he was not being involved in final decisions on the syllabus review. The council reportedly expressed concern over the committee’s composition and asked Deshpande to convey its objections to Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh.
In a letter dated 9 October, Deshpande questioned the committee’s composition, functioning and recommendations. One major objection concerns the proposed removal of “History of Education in Colonial India” (DSE 31), a paper the department says has been taught for more than a decade. The committee reportedly characterised the paper as ideologically driven. The department disputed this assessment, pointing to the course’s coverage of indigenous education, colonial debates, Dalit and Adivasi experiences, missionaries, reform movements, and nationalist approaches such as Swadeshi education and Nai Talim (new education).
The dispute comes amid wider changes to DU syllabi under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. According to reports, only 16 of the 38 Discipline Specific Elective (DSE) papers proposed by the History Department appeared in the Semester III syllabus notified on 7 August. Several others were listed as “under discussion” or “undiscussed”. The department’s October letter also said almost half of its Semester III DSE papers were yet to be notified, including courses concerning caste, gender, labour and the Northeast.
Dr Ankit Agrawal, assistant professor at PGDAV College and a committee member, said, however, that the department’s papers had been discussed, that the HoD had participated in meetings, and that suggestions were intended to improve the courses. The university has previously stated that the review was necessary because changes had been made to some syllabi after they were cleared.
The department has sought a meeting with the Vice-Chancellor and has asked that the Semester IV syllabus be discussed through the university’s statutory academic bodies before the semester begins in January 2027. The university had not responded to the department’s concerns at the time of publication.
Image Source: University of Delhi
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Aarushi Chaubey
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