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Mismanagement and Arbitrary Decisions taken at Meghdoot Hostel

By savedubwp23admin June 17, 2023

The residents of Meghdoot Hostel have expressed dismay upon their living conditions and have alleged that various arbitrary decisions have been taken by the authorities. The accusations have mostly been levelled against the former provost of the Hostel, Dr Pratibha Mehta Luthra, who has reportedly recently retired from her Hostel duties.

Meghdoot Hostel is one of the two University hostels for women in North Campus. It primarily admits masters and PhD students. It has been reported that after the pandemic, quite a few hostels were not well equipped to take in fresh students. In Meghdoot Hostel most students were admitted as guest residents and were asked to pay a higher fee. It has been alleged that there was complete lack of transparency in the admission process. The basis on which students were admitted into the hostel is unclear and whether university guidelines were followed is in question. Reportedly, a disproportionately high number of science students, particularly students from Dr B.R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research – the institution in which the former provost is a faculty member-were given permanent seats.

Students who were not given a permanent seat were asked to vacate on a short notice. Those who were about to complete their courses requested for brief extensions so that they could be allowed to stay at the hostel until the completion of their courses. Most of these requests were denied. Asking students to vacate their rooms on a short notice caused immense disruption as many of them did not have any other place to stay.

“My dissertation submission was on the 15^th of June. I simply needed a 15-day extension. My application for extension was approved by the Department Head as well. Yet, the provost denied me an extension and refused to listen to my concerns” – a former resident of the hostel who wishes to remain anonymous

The former provost had reportedly undertaken the task of establishing a Saraswati idol in the Hostel premises. While the hostel often fell short of ensuring basic necessities for the residents, it was alleged that a considerable amount of the funds was spent in the establishment and maintenance of the idol. Multiple Hindu religious events such as havans and pujas were organised and it has been alleged that the students were coerced to participant in them. However, this has been refuted by a resident who stated that although religious gatherings and events were organised, attending them was a matter of choice. After the establishment of the idol, the hostel authorities stopped non-vegetarian food from being served in the mess. When this decision was met with complaints, the provost reportedly reasoned that non-vegetarian food cannot possibly be allowed in the hostel premises as the piety of the space had to be maintained due to the presence of the idol.

“We were repeatedly asked to participate in the events organised by the hostel. We were told that non participation in these events would affect our applications for permanents seats. Women from all over the country, from diverse cultures and different faiths, reside in our hostel. They were all asked to attend havans early in the morning. The prejudice that the provost had was very evident. – a resident of Meghdoot hostel who requested to remain anonymous

DU Beat contacted the members of the managing committee and the former provost to respond to the allegations.

“Thank you for kindly communicating with me on the matter. I held a meeting with the students on 2^nd June 2023 in the matter. The response from them has been communicated to the management committee. Everything has been done as per rule and based on the request from the students.” – Dr Pratibha Mehta Luthra, Provost, Meghdoot Hostel

Reportedly a new provost has been appointed to the hostel. The students hope that their concerns are taken care of with greater sincerity in future.

Featured image credits: Joon Square

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DU Offers Scholarships, Laptops for New B. Tech Courses

By DU Beat June 17, 2023

DU has launched three new B. Tech courses under the Faculty of Technology from the upcoming academic session, 2023-24, added with several benefits and incentives from supernumerary seats for single girl child to reimbursements upon purchasing laptops.

The University of Delhi besides introducing three B. Tech courses- namely, B. Tech Computer Science and Engineering, B. Tech Electronics and Communication Engineering, and B. Tech Electrical Engineering- is also offering several incentives along with the programmes. Supernumerary seats for single girl child, scholarships for underprivileged students, and laptops for all are some of those incentives, as underlined by Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference, the Vice-Chancellor also mentioned that the new academic session shall begin on August 16. Expanding more upon the B. Tech programmes, he went on to add that 360 students would be admitted to the engineering curriculum, with 120 seats in each course while a seat in each of these three programmes will be given to a single girl child in the form of a supernumerary seat. Moreover, every student enrolled in B. Tech will be reimbursed up to Rs. 50,000 on the purchase of a laptop.

He said that the University will also introduce a Financial Support Scheme (FSS) to extend the benefits of equity and access to quality education to economically weaker students seeking admission to BTech programmes. Under this, candidates whose parents’ income is Rs. 4 lakh or less will be given a 90 percent fee waiver at the time of admission while candidates whose parents’ income is more than Rs. 4 lahks and less than Rs. 8 lahks will get a 50 percent fee waiver at the time of admission. The University has also included a supernumerary quota for orphan students this year.

The B. Tech programmes would be designed in such a manner that there would be a minimum of 50 percent weightage given to the major subject area of study with a maximum of 65 percent weightage. The remaining weightage would be to the minor subject areas of study, the Vice-Chancellor added.

Not only that, students will have several exit options with the National Education Policy. Students who will have completed one year of study with requisite credits will be awarded a certificate, those with two years and requisite credits would be provided with a diploma, those with three years and requisite credits will be granted an advanced diploma while those completing all four years of study along with a proper number of credits will get a B. Tech degree.

Lastly, the Vice-Chancellor mentioned that the Faculty of Technology will be situated on the North Campus of DU for logistic support and proximity to other departments. Besides the B. Tech courses, the university will also be launching a five-year LLB programme along with ITEP courses from the upcoming academic year.

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Priyanka Mukherjee

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Arts & Culture

Student Unions and the Queer Community: Authentic Representation or Queer Baiting?

By DU Beat June 16, 2023

“Parade of Power, Pride and Resistance- March for Progressive and Inclusive Campuses” read the poster of the pride parade organised by Students’ Federation of India (SFI). However, the march was met with strong opposition from members of the queer community, who accused SFI of queer baiting and alleged that the parade was nothing more than tokenism.

On June 1, 2023, the North Campus of Delhi University was engulfed in the colours of the pride flag. Hundreds of marching feet echoed across campus as the Student Federation of India (SFI) organised a pride parade to celebrate and support the LGBTQIAP+ community. Horizontal reservations for transgender students, GSCASH implementation, gender-neutral washrooms, queer-inclusive mental health cells, and anti-ragging cells were among some of the top demands of this year’s pride parade.

However, the parade drew strong criticism not only from queerphobes but also from members of the community who accused SFI of queer baiting. Many queer student activists and members of queer collectives and gender cells across Delhi alleged that the pride march is nothing more than SFI’s tokenistic attitude. The SFI’s ignorance or inaction on queer matters throughout the year created a solid foundation for these allegations. Many queer activists and students chose not to participate in the parade. This caused a heated debate within the community.

If not SFI then who? The majority of student unions have historically neglected queer issues, and this continues to be the case today. Whether it is NSUI, ABVP, or AISA. SFI is the only student organisation that talks about queer rights and organises pride parades on campus that are attended by hundreds of people and stands out for queer rights. It’s still better than doing nothing even if they are only doing it for political reasons.

-Prakhar Gangwar (He/They)

Some people in the community, however, believe that building a new room is better than making concessions or attempting to fit into a certain space.

Most political parties or student unions don’t care about queer issues. They talk about rights when doing so serves their political objectives. Abolishing such places sends a loud and clear message that queer lives are not a commodity to be exchanged for votes. Resisting tokenistic behaviours will likely lead to a successful organisation that cares about queer rights.

-Astha Bansal (She/Her)

But in a country like India, where everything revolves around politics, Is this really a good option?

You can’t abolish such spaces. Majority of the country is still unaware about the queer community. It is only cities like Delhi, Mumbai or other metropolitan cities which give you freedom and a chance to organise and attend queer events like pride parades where you get to meet people from the community and freely express yourself.

-Pravishti (She/ Her)

The conversation on whether the pride parade was just a bait or not became pertinent after a few people who attended the parade posted about their experiences on social media.

It appeared to be an SFI political rally. The number of SFI flags heavily outnumbered the number of pride flags.

-Anonymous (She/They)

It was not an apolitical pride parade. A political party organised a political pride parade. So, of course, we’ll have our flags. I identify as queer. I would not have stayed here if SFI uses pride parade as a queerbaiting tool. As a queer student, I say that SFI supports us, and I say this as the president of Indradhanush: The queer affirmative of ZHDC (Morning), not as a representative of SFI. If SFI stops to be the support system, the QC won’t last a single day.

-Arnab Adhikari (He/Him), SFI Member & President of Indradhanush

According to Arnab, the absence of effective social media management has resulted in this debate.

We aren’t handling social media properly. We don’t talk much about the work we do on social media. We all realised that we must communicate, we must post more to avoid such misunderstandings.

-Arnab Adhikari (He/Him)

Pride month always brings discussions around queer baiting into the limelight. Pride month, when it comes to queerbaiting gets reduced to nothing more than a celebration of the unfair privilege enjoyed by the dominant segment of the queer community. The privileged section of the community, largely cis-gay men who dominate most queer spaces, is at the top, while the transgender community is at the bottom. To fully understand this, we must first acknowledge that hierarchy and dominance are inevitable, and, consequently, this cycle of dominance also exists within the queer community. Cis-gay men dominate most queer spaces, tokenistic behaviour by political parties or corporations has little influence on them, and they continue to feed corporate tokenism and empty politics and benefit from it at the same time.

Featured Image Credits: Instagram Page- DU Beat and SFI Delhi

Dhruv Bhati

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Arts & Culture

Man, Woman & Metamorphosis: Gender Fluidity in Ancient Lore

By Samra Iqbal June 16, 2023

While the idea of fluidity in gender might seem new to people, it is not a modern phenomenon. Examples of bending identities from history and myth can pave the way for deeper perspectives on this long-established concept.

When I was first introduced to the concept of gender fluidity, the notion felt familiar instead of strange. As a devoted explorer of mythology and folklore, I had long been reading about Gods and mortals who transcended the confines of the gender binary. On the contrary, a well-received opinion today is that fluidity is a contemporary phenomenon. A 21st-century ‘invention’, even. Doesn’t this claim conveniently erase the rich history of fluid identities throughout cultures of the world?

For a brief overview, gender fluidity means flexibility in one’s gender identity or expression, or both. It’s about not feeling tied to a single gender label, allowing it to shift and change with time. It plays a significant role in understanding diverse gender identities. For centuries, if not millennia, traditions across the world have recognized and honoured gender nonconformity. As we celebrate Pride this month, it’s imperative to show appreciation and learn from them the vast ways gender can be perceived.

A recurring theme in Hindu mythology that I grew up fascinated with, is that of Gods and Goddesses often blurring the lines between masculine and feminine. The ‘Puranas’ recite various tales of this including one where Shiv merges with Shakti to become Ardhanarishwara, (Sanskrit: Lord who is half-woman) who is seen in many Southeast Asian sculptures. Another story is that of Shikhandi, who was born into a female body but always knew was a man and later entered the battlefield of Kurukshetra as one. It was also ordinary for Gods to turn into Goddesses to enchant ‘Asuras’! In Norse mythology, Loki is a famous gender-bending entity. In Greek myth, the prophet Teiresias spent seven years as a woman, and in Mesopotamian lore, the Goddess of fertility and love is depicted with both masculine and feminine elements.

Ardhanarishwara sculpture in Mumbai, Source: Elephanta Caves Web,

While such beliefs provide significant insight into the perception of gender thousands of years ago and still remain a part of cultures worldwide, people may find it hard to see some sense of reality in it as it is lore, after all. This is why it’s essential to also discuss credible historical accounts of gender fluidity that go a little less far back into history.

Flourishing cultures have not only accepted but also revered the dynamic nature of gender. One of the more prominent instances is that of the Native Americans. In their societies, the existence of feminine men, masculine women, and transgendered people was ubiquitous. They were called “two-spirit” people and were considered strikingly knowledgeable. There were no rules regarding expression of identity and cross-dressing was routine. With the advent of the Europeans, this flexibility was no longer tolerated. The Mahus of Hawaii and Tahiti, who never put restrictions on gender identity, met with a similar fate after colonization. Certain ethnic groups in Madagascar would raise their boys with long hair and multiple piercings if they tended to show feminine traits and this practice is still prevalent. These are only scattered examples from a myriad of customs from all over the world.

While in some historical contexts, queerness might have had a negative connotation, it’s refreshing to realize that more often than not it was nothing out of the ordinary. Its acceptance sure did gradually plummet after the Euro-Western dominance, but its existence could simply never be questioned.

We’wha, a famous two-spirit, Source: Human Rights Campaign Web

For a modern interpretation, legends and lore about the fluidity of gender can be viewed through a lens of acceptance and inclusivity. These stories serve as a powerful reminder that gender has always existed along a diverse spectrum, and they should encourage us to pursue social structures that protect the dignity of all individuals, irrespective of expression or identity.

There will always be diversity in the human experience, let’s honour it. Today, as the modern world wrestles with the idea of accepting anything that is beyond the binary, remind yourself of this perpetual truth- Gender fluidity is as old as time itself.

Gender Fluidity Around the World

Featured Image Source: Medium

Arshiya Pathania

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Innovation Projects

DU Launches CSAS Portal for UG Admissions 2023-24

By DU Beat June 16, 2023

The University of Delhi announced the launch of its Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS) portal for undergraduate admissions for the academic session of 2023-2024. Along with the launch of the portal, announcements regarding the launch of new B.Tech. courses, the Financial Support Scheme, etc. were also made.

On Wednesday, June 14, 2023, the Delhi University admissions season commenced for undergraduate courses. During a press conference on Wednesday, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Yogesh Singh, launched the CSAS portal for UG admissions for the session 2023-2024. The School of Open Learning (SOL) and Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board (NCWEB) admissions portals were launched as well.

The next session for the upcoming batch will begin on August 16. Students who want to apply to Delhi University’s regular programmes must login to the portal with their CUET application number and upload the necessary documents, which include their high school marksheet (12th and 10th grade), valid government ID, and caste certificate or PwD/EWS/CW/KM/Minority certificate, as applicable. Following the release of the CUET results, the next round of admissions will begin. Students will be asked to mention their preferred colleges and courses. Following this, their scores will be used to determine which college and course they will be assigned to.

The candidate must “accept” the seat before the deadline for that round of allocation after a seat has been allocated, according to DU authorities; inactivity or inaction would be considered non-acceptance. Following the completion of each allocation cycle, DU will publish information regarding vacant seats in each course across all colleges. After being accepted, candidates can choose to either upgrade or freeze their allotted seat.

SOL and NCWEB’s admissions procedures, however, differ. Class 12th results are required for admission to UG programmes at SOL and NCWEB. Candidates interested in enrolling in these programmes must first register on the CSAS site before uploading their necessary documents. The forms for the same are available on the websites of these institutes.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Yogesh Singh also announced the launch of three new B.Tech. programmes: computer science and engineering, electronics and communication engineering, and electrical engineering, along with the launch of the UG admissions portal.

DU is also introducing a financial support scheme (FSS) to extend the benefits of equity and access to quality education to students from economically weaker sections (EWS) for the B.Tech. programmes.

– Prof. Yogesh Singh, DU Vice Chancellor

A B.Tech. student at DU can get a reimbursement of 50,000 for new laptops, he added. Additionally, he mentioned including a new quota for orphan students. The Vice Chancellor further stated,

Candidates whose parents’ income is ₹4 lakh or less will be given a 90% fee waiver and between ₹4 lakh to ₹8 lakh will be given a 50% waiver. The university has also included a supernumerary quota for orphan students this year and all DU affiliated colleges will admit two candidates (one male and one female) under this quota at both UG and postgraduate (PG) levels.

In the final week of June, the portal for postgraduate (PG) course admissions will go live. The registration process for PG admissions will also be on similar grounds.

Featured Image Credits: Careers 360

Dhruv Bhati
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DU Admissions

DU to Conduct PhD Admissions via CUET from Academic Year 2023-24

By Samra Iqbal June 12, 2023

The Executive Council of the University of Delhi passed a resolution on 9th June, 2023 to conduct PhD admissions into the university via CUET from the upcoming academic year, 2023-24. Alongside this major decision, several other resolutions were adopted in the meeting, including those pertaining to the initiation of the five-year LLB programme.

This is the first time the university will be inducting students into its PhD programmes through a common test instead of conducting written tests and interviews.

“PhD admission will be done on the basis of CUET (PhD)-2023 based on the recommendation of the Standing Committee of the Academic Council, after deliberations on various matters related to admission and attendance of Undergraduate, Postgraduate and PhD programmes for the academic session 2023-24, the same were also accepted by the Executive Council (EC),” read the university statement.

The University had started conducting undergraduate and postgraduate admission via CUET-UG and CUET-PG since last year. The PhD entrance test will be through the national-based CUET-PhD (2023), conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA). However, teaching and non-teaching candidates serving in the university can directly appear for interviews. The University also added that the teaching and non-teaching staff must be permitted to attend classes and take examinations without affecting the duties assigned during office hours. Such rules for PhD will be applicable from the academic session 2023-24.

Apart from this, several other resolutions were passed at the Executive Council meeting. The eligibility condition and seat matrix recommendations of the Medical Science Course Admissions Committee (MCAC) for admission to undergraduate MBBS/BDS courses for the admission session 2023-24 were also approved. It was also decided that MSc admission to the Respiratory Therapy programme will also be under CUET-PG 2023.

The resolution to set up the Centre for Independence and Partition Studies, passed in the 1014th Academic Council meeting of the university was also approved on Friday. The centre will focus on researching about unsung heroes and freedom movements that have not found a place in mainstream history textbooks along with the tragedies and horrors of the partition.

The Council has also given approval for the formation of Tribal Studies Centre that shall be a multi-disciplinary centre focusing on various tribes of India. Additionally, establishment of Hindu Studies Centre was also passed by the EC. A Master of Arts Programme in Hindu Studies will be started under this Centre. The Council also approved to run the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) from the academic session 2023-24 which will be a four-year long course.

DU’s Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Mahila College, Mata Sundari Mahavidyalaya and Jesus and Mary College have been granted approval for ITEP by National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) from the session 2023-24. The education department of DU and eight colleges running B El Ed course will
apply for ITEP course for the academic year 2024-2025.

With major changes occurring in the admission process as well as university programmes, the students can only hope for a smooth and unhampered experience.

Featured Image Credits: Hindustan Times

Priyanka Mukherjee
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Campus Central

The Spirit of B.El.Ed Program – AIFRTE’s Stand on Cancellation of B.El.Ed by Delhi University!

By Ankita Baidya June 9, 2023

The implementation of ITEP and the elimination of other teacher training courses such as B.El.Ed courses by Delhi University without consultation is being contested by students and academics who think the program is unique in its own way and that introducing ITEP doesn’t require the elimination of other programs.

The All India Forum for Right to Education ( AIFRTE ) conducted a webinar on’ Introduction of ITEP and against the cancellation of B.El.Ed.’ on May 30, 2023 (Tuesday) at 7 pm. The discussion took place live on Zoom platform and was also broadcasted on Facebook and YouTube page of AIFRTE. The list of speakers included – Prof Krishna Kumar (Renowned educationist & Former Director, NCERT) , Prof Poonam Batra (Expert in Elementary Education & Co-creator of the framework of B.El.Ed, Prof Latika Gupta (Prof in Dept of Education, Delhi University) and Prachi Gupta (Student of B.El.Ed., DU). More than a hundred people participated in the live debate, with many actively sharing their opinions through the comments, including several B.El.Ed students and professors.

The backdrop of the discussion was the adoption of ITEP ( (Integrated Teacher Education Program) by the Delhi University Academic Council on 26^th May, 2023 overruling objections raised by many elected teacher representatives, protesting students, and expert opinions.

ITEP was launched by NCTE ( National Council for Teacher Education ) under NEP 2020 scarping all the existing teacher training courses and to be adopted as the single course in the entire country. Experts have highlighted how it can weaker in terms of pedagogic training and how it is a threat to courses like B.Ed. and B.El.Ed.

The conversation centred on the future of B.El.Ed programmes and how a systematic dismantling of prior structures and efforts to reform the education system is detrimental in many ways. It also emphasised the program’s values and how it helped the learning process.

Mr Jagmohan, the webinar’s host, began by introducing everyone. He also briefly stated how, from the commencement of NEP 2020, the main attack has been on how teachers will be prepared for it. Furthermore, it has now come down to teacher training for the same.

Prof Krishna Kumar, an experienced educationist and one of the oldest professionals to share his knowledge on the matter, opened the discussion.

At this point it is important to remember that B.El.Ed was born in struggle and has faced various struggles all along its short history of three decades. Some hurdles like the concept of elementary that was not easily digested at the time the program began. I remember how Prof Upendra Baxi steered the discussion with his great legal skills and was able to convince the council of what will the program do. Over time, it has faced various hurdles, but today we are facing a new kind of uncertainty.

– Prof Krishna Kumar

He mentions there are apprehensions on ITEP replacing courses like B.El.Ed but on the other hand there is a constant difficulty of faculty shortage. Prof Krishna Kumar states an important point the nowhere in the NEP policy it is mentioned that the ITEP will replace all the teaching courses, rather the general tone suggests that there will be multiple roots for teachers to be trained and prepared for jobs. This is not a threat to courses like B.El.Ed as it is well established and is widely accepted.

The university has underestimated the achievements and values of the program which has benefited both teachers and students. Delhi university has no dearth of colleges to start with its ITEP program, there is no point in killing one innovation to start with the other.

– Prof Krishna Kumar

Later on, He highlights the importance of the course by saying that nobody else in teacher education have the kind of theoretical command and the insights in pedagogy like the B.El.Ed graduates.

Prof Latika Gupta then recounts her own experience with how the Course presented so many new concepts and how, despite the fact that the country has changed so much, the programme has maintained its true spirit and enthusiasm throughout its duration.

This course is an existence in itself, which drives all of us together. The recent graduates and students must overcome this round of crisis. Maybe this is an opportunity to re organize and start fresh.

– Prof Latika Gupta

Several additional B.El.Ed students joined the discussion and highlighted how the degree empowered them and helped them to choose the finest ideas to share with the students. The programme serves as a model for not only imparting theoretical knowledge and training, but also building confidence and motivation to ask tough questions.

B.El.Ed has taught me how to make education more engaging and not boring, art and theatre has helped me in incorporating expression inside the classroom so that I could help my learners be more expressive and creative.

– A student who shared her experience during the webinar.

Prof Poonam Batra joined the conversation and expressed her concern about the teacher training course’s existential crises and how the elimination of such programmes might compromise children’s learning. She claims that teacher education is an easy target, and that if other higher education systems take the area, we are likely to lost the battle for our students. She recalls how well-crafted the curriculum was and how well developed its integration was, allowing for both interdisciplinary learning as well as theoretical and practical approaches of study.

The core subjects of B.El.Ed have significant contributions as it allows young students to revisit what they learnt in school and this time understand it from an epistemological viewpoint, It is about Knowledge generation and engagement.

– Prof Poonam Batra.

Another AIFRTE team member expressed his concerns about how the disintegration of the education system without consultation is an assault on the learning process, academicians, and students. He emphasises the importance of coming together to fight such acts. There is an increasing need to convey to individuals the consequences of such activities.

Mr. Jagmohan concluded the discussion by encouraging everyone to be optimistic and to participate in the struggle.

Link for full Discussion – https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1221617085188263

Read also – https://dubeat.com/?s=B.El.Ed+

Image credits – News click, Google images

Priya Agrawal

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Campus Central

DU Sanctions Rs.110 Crore for Expansion of Central Library

By savedubwp23admin June 9, 2023

Delhi University is likely to soon inaugurate the construction works for the expansion of its central library. Simultaneously, the University has launched an e-book collection and digital archive system.

On June 6, Delhi University sanctioned a fund of Rs. 110 crore for the expansion of its central library, whose construction is expected to commence soon. The announcement was made at the launch of The Centenary E-Book Collection and Digital Archive by Prof. Yogesh Singh, Vice-Chancellor of the University, which aims at digitizing library resources and making them more accessible. According to DU officials, the collection has been expanded to include more than 83,000 e-books, digital archives, and subject collections from nine eminent publishers.

When the concept of e-journals came, many educationists were not comfortable with it, but now the mindset has changed. Today students find it very comfortable to read e-books and supplement it with their reading of printed books.

– Prof. Yogesh Singh, DU Vice Chancellor and Chief Guest at the e-book collection launch.

Adding that similar changes are required in the library system, the Vice-Chancellor also advised librarians of the University and colleges to undertake the organization of workshops to create awareness and knowledge about these updated amenities. He asserted that the internet has significantly altered workplace practices over the last 20–30 years, which requires complementary changes in the system.

India has emerged as the leading country in the world in UPI transactions. Things have to be changed in the system, similarly so that the library resources are accessible from anywhere.

-added the Vice-Chancellor

As stated by Dr. Rajesh Singh, the University Librarian and Head of the Delhi University Library System (DULS), the library system is a distributed system of resources and services spread across both campuses of the University possessing a remarkable collection of over 17 lakh documents consisting of books, print periodicals, monographs, theses, and other resources. He also mentioned that the University has acquired subject collections and digital archives from publishers such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Bloomberg, SAGE Publishing, Taylor & Francis, Elsevier, Springer Nature, and Wiley Online Books.

As reported by the Hindustan Times, Prof. Rajeev Gupta, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Institution of Eminence (IoE), and Prof. Neeta Sehgal were also present during the centenary e-book launch.

Featured Image Credits: Aaj Tak

Manvi Goel

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Campus Central

Divided Opinion on Karl Marx: Another Debate at Delhi University Over Syllabus

By DU Beat May 31, 2023

Professors express concern over modifications to the economics curriculum, while the VC claims that it is an attempt to provide students with more options.

Following controversies over removing a chapter on Muhammad Iqbal and adding Savarkar in the syllabus for Political Science students, the University made another move that has sparked criticism. The changes made to the economics syllabus for undergrad students at Delhi University have not been accepted by many, and members of the University’s Academic Council have expressed their concerns.

The two elective papers that caused this debate are Economy, State, and Society and Production Relations and Globalization. These papers contain sections on Karl Marx which the members felt were identical. One of the Academic Council members, Monami Sinha, highlighted that these works are not similar and that Karl Marx is an integral part of the subject. Marx made one of the most significant contributions to the field with his theories that led to the formation of Marxism, although he, like many others, defined production relations, which are explored in the papers cited above.

Furthermore, Sinha claims that this should be viewed from the perspective of an academician and that one cannot and should not remove parts from the curriculum just because they do not align with their ideologies.

“Even if one wants to criticise the theory, it should be taught to students first. The VC has now constituted a committee where this will be revisited. It was suggested that we teach other models as well, which we are already doing” states Monami Sinha.

Yogesh Singh, the Vice-Chancellor of DU, also spoke during the discussion and clarified the situation. He claims that the University should be a platform that provides students with a variety of options and that they are in the process of incorporating other US and European models to broaden the base. He notes that the Core papers contain features of Karl Marx that are already being taught and that there are no changes to that. The goal was to provide students with more options through elective papers.

The committee has previously approved elective papers on Karl Marx and is attempting to introduce new models for students that would include Ambedkar and Gandhi’s economic ideas.

It appears from these statements that the University aims to extend the learning matter for students and that their preferences will be prioritised.

These curriculum changes made for the four-year degrees under the New Education Policy have been strongly discussed among academic circles in recent days. VD Savarkar’s ideals will be taught before Gandhi’s in Semester V, while Gandhi’s will be taught in Semester VII. This would imply that students pursuing a three-year degree curriculum would be unable to study Gandhi.

According to a recent declaration from the VC, this approach has been reversed, implying that the paper on Gandhi will be taught in the fourth semester, followed by Ambedkar and Savarkar in the next two.

With these recent developments, professors and students have continued to express their ideas and concerns about the overall shift and how it may effect students’ learning.

Image credits: Mint, Google images

Priya Agrawal

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Campus Central

Gandhi Replaced with Savarkar in BA Syllabus; Row Erupts in DU

By DU Beat May 29, 2023

Currently preparing the syllabi for four-year programmes for several subjects under the National Education Policy, Delhi University has replaced a paper on Mahatma Gandhi in semester V of BA (Hons) Political Science with one on Hindutva ideologue, VD Savarkar leading to a lot of discontent among academic circles.

The National Education Policy introduced the concept of a four-year degree course of eight semesters following which, the University is now currently devising a formal syllabus for all subjects. What caused great discontent among the academic circle, was the replacement of Gandhi with Savarkar in the BA Political Science (Hons) curriculum. The ideologies of VD Savarkar will now be taught in semester V while Mahatma Gandhi has been shifted to semester VII, allege several DU teachers, adding that this would mean students opting for a three-year graduation course instead of a four-year programme will not study Gandhi.

The motion in this regard was passed at the Academic Council meeting on Friday, May 26, inviting heavy dissatisfaction among a section of teachers, who deemed it as a ‘saffronisation’ of education and an ‘attempt to compare Gandhi and Savarkar’. The final call in this matter will be taken by the Executive Council, the highest decision-making body in DU.

Previously, the curriculum included a paper on Gandhi in semester V and Ambedkar in semester VI. However, the council also decided to introduce Savarkar in the syllabus, under the National Education Policy. Academic Council member, Alok Pandey commented that the proposal to teach Savarkar in semester V at the ‘cost’ of Gandhi was disagreed upon in the standing committee meeting, where it was decided to teach Gandhi in semester V, Savarkar in VI and Ambedkar in VII, as per their age chronology. However, the resolution was brought to the Academic Council meeting despite the disagreement.

Opposing the move, Rajesh Jha, a former Executive Council member said that students should be exposed to Gandhi in initial semesters to develop ‘critical thinking’ as Gandhian ideas are ‘inclusive’ and ‘reflect the collective consciousness of our freedom struggle’. He also adds that Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy ‘stands for good politics as well as good individuals’ and hence, teaching Gandhi before Savarkar would have prepared students to understand the latter’s thought in a ‘broader and more balanced perspective.’

As per the PTI review, ‘Understanding Gandhi’ was previously a paper in semester V which aimed to acquaint students with the social and political thoughts of the Mahatma. The course objective mentions that the themes in Gandhian thought that are chosen for close reading are ‘particularly relevant to our times.’

While all these issues have been burning, the Vice Chancellor, Yogesh Singh refused several PTI calls to comment on the matter.

Several such major shifts have been observed in the syllabus of other courses as well, as the University gradually revamps its educational curriculum according to the National Education Policy, leading to growing discontent among teachers and students alike.

Featured Image Credits: DU Updates (Google Images)

Priyanka Mukherjee

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