New Delhi: Several students and teachers of Delhi University ’s history department gathered Friday to protest against the deletion of courses on caste, gender, labour, tribal histories and medieval India, alleging that a special committee constituted by the vice-chancellor had curtailed the syllabus despite objections from department teachers.
The public meeting was called to demand the restoration of all 43 papers proposed by the department, of which the administration permitted only 23, according to the organisers. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in Delhi Stay updated with the latest Delhi news.
She said the department head was not allowed to speak at AC meetings and alleged that the expert committee reviewing the papers did not comprise history teachers. Students said the deletion had restricted their academic choices even as enrolment increased under Four-Year Undergraduate Programme. They also demanded protection of academic autonomy, an end to arbitrary course deletions, a transparent decision-making process that respects teachers’ expertise, and adequate classrooms and infrastructure to accommodate rising student enrolment. Former department head Prabhu Mohapatra questioned the administration’s decision to prevent faculty members from teaching courses in their areas of specialisation. He cited the examples of teachers whose research focuses on gender and education, arguing that their academic expertise was being sidelined. Prof Maya John, also an elected Academic Council (AC) member, questioned the process through which courses were withheld. Prof Jitendra Meena, another elected AC member, linked the controversy to wider concerns over ideological intervention in higher education. He referred to a social media post flagging anti-caste readings taught at universities, including DU and JNU, such as BR Ambedkar’s Annihilation of Caste . The post was subsequently referred to by the Union education ministry in an official email, which, citing a PMO order, was sent to the registrars of several central universities seeking details of student enrolment in courses featuring such readings. TOI reached out to DU and JNU to confirm whether they had received the email, but neither responded. The claim could not be independently verified. There was also no response from history department head Anirudh Deshpande on the deletion. Download the TOI App.