Remove syllabus that glorifies Pak: DU VC to officials
The statement comes after the varsity’s standing committee for academic affairs suggested replacing Muhammad Iqbal with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the History department’s syllabus for eighth semester in May.
Department heads in the University of Delhi (DU) have been asked to review their syllabus and remove “any unnecessary glorification of Pakistan, their poets or writers or anyone against the interest of our country”, DU vice chancellor Yogesh Singh told HT on Tuesday.
“Pakistan is a reality and of course we will have to teach it, whether while talking about the partition or our long history. There is no issue with teaching facts but those who are against India, whether writers or poets of Pakistan, will not be taught in the university. There is no need for unnecessary glorification,” Singh said.
The VC added that they might take up changes on suggestions of department heads. “It is a herculean task. If some departments do come up with suggested changes in this regard, we might take them up in the upcoming academic council meeting as well. However, this is an ongoing process and might take time,” he said.
The statement comes after the varsity’s standing committee for academic affairs suggested replacing Muhammad Iqbal with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the History department’s syllabus for eighth semester in May. The decision was later passed by the academic council and subsequently by the executive council.
University officials are also discussing how to incorporate “Operation Sindoor” in the syllabus.
However, the direction has been met with criticism by some professors. “The job of the university is to approach any topic in the syllabus from an objective, detached and dispassionate point of view so that it can be analysed critically. Universities are meant to promote multiple ideas and train students to critique every idea and not fall for hero worship. The promotion of monochromatic ideas will affect the ability of the students to think and be amenable to diverse and different ideas,” Rudrashish Chakraborty, associate professor in the Department of English, Kirori Mal College, said.
Another professor from Rajdhani College, Rajesh Jha, said, “We have subject experts to frame the syllabus of each department, so that students get exposed to a wide spectrum of topics relevant to the subject. The departments must be given full autonomy in this matter.”
