DU panel clears first semester syllabus, sends back others for revision

The panel, Delhi University’s (DU) oversight committee for courses, also said that the departments have not followed the “required process” of syllabus revision.

A Delhi University panel on Monday passed the first semester syllabus of four departments — English, History, Political Science and Sociology. However, it returned the syllabi for the rest five semesters’ syllabi for “comprehensive revision” after it found certain topics, such as “radical theater” (Engish[H]) and sociologist Nandini Sundar’s book (Political Science [H]) “controversial”.

A Delhi University panel on Monday passed the first semester syllabus of four departments — English, History, Political Science and Sociology.(Saumya Khandelwal/HT PHOTO)

The panel, Delhi University’s (DU) oversight committee for courses, also said that the departments have not followed the “required process” of syllabus revision.

The syllabi of the four departments have been courting controversy in DU after the members of right-wing teachers’ group National Democratic Teachers’ Front (NDTF) and RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) objected to their content.

The NDTF had on Friday requested the oversight committee to pass the first semester syllabus of these departments and referr the rest back.

Teachers from these departments criticised the development with around 160 English teachers on Monday writing to the Vice Chancellor requesting him to approve and implement the entire syllabus immediately.

The university’s academic council (AC) as well as executive council (EC) had already sent back the syllabus of these four departments for “review”. After two rounds of revision, it was sent to oversight committee for a final call. “The committee has passed the syllabus of first semester so that the students do not suffer. The academic year has already begun. Rest of the syllabus is a matter of deliberation. We will submit the minutes with the administration and it will take a call,” said Maharaj K Pandit, chairperson of the committee.

Another member of the committee, who wished not to be named, said that the despite demands for the removal of an article by Sundar, the political science department has added her book, Sabalterns and Sovereigns, to the reading list. “Many corrections are required in the syllabus of English, History and Sociology departments. Objections are being raised against a paper on radical theatre being offered by the English department,” the member said.

The English department has already removed a story on Gujarat riots, a paper on the Indian caste system and mention of Hindu scripture from the paper on homosexuality after opposition. The head of the department Raj Kumar said that they were yet to receive an official communication from the oversight committee.

Saikat Gosh, who teaches English at SGTB Khalsa, said, “There is an elective paper on radical traditions in modern Indian performance. It looks at the journey of street theatre and popular forms from freedom movement to post emergency India. The problem of right wing teachers has a problem with the inclusion of Jana Natya Manch and Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) .”

Similarly, other three departments have also made changes after protest. An official in the political Science department said, “One can have a problem with topic but cannot ask to remove all the writings of an author. These demands cannot be fulfilled,” said the official. The department has already dropped an article by Sundar on “Naxalism” from the syllabus after objections.

Rasal Singh, member of the NDTF who raised objection over the syllabus of these departments in the academic council meeting said, “The syllabi be cleansed, indianised and be freed from colonial and communist clutches. Participation of much more teachers and other stakeholders including students should be included in the review process and syllabi be made inclusive, academic and non-propagandist.”