Include teachings of Buddha, Gandhi,; drop Palestine, Kashmir issues: DU panel proposes changes to psychology curriculum

Indian Express

05-05-2025

The Delhi University's Standing Committee on Academic Affairs has proposed incorporating teachings of Gautam Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, and traditions from Jain philosophy, alongside texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, into the psychology curriculum under the units that deal with peacebuilding and conflict, The Indian Express has learnt.
'There are no bigger symbols than Gandhi and Buddha — they represent peace and universal values,' said a committee member on the condition of anonymity. The move aims to 'reduce the over-representation of Western thinkers' and bring in an Indian perspective, said sources. The suggestions were discussed during a meeting on May 2, as part of the syllabus revision for undergraduate (seventh and eighth semesters) and postgraduate psychology curriculum under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
According to internal notes and faculty present at the meeting, the committee also discussed removing content related to the Israel-Palestine conflict and the Kashmir issue from a unit titled 'Conflict and Conflict Resolution', arguing that these were politically divisive and lacked relevance in a psychology course.
'When societies and nations are already divided on these two issues, what is the need to teach these in the classroom and divide students further?' said a committee member. Another added, 'Kashmir is a resolved issue as per Parliament… there is no need for it to be part of psychology.'
When contacted, Shri Prakash Singh, Director of South Campus and Chairperson of the Standing Committee said, 'The meeting is inconclusive and nothing has been dropped yet,' without elaborating further. Supporters of the suggested revisions argue that Indian traditions offer valuable frameworks for understanding human behaviour and peacebuilding. 'Buddha always stood against Brahmanical and Vedantic philosophy, and his teachings suit everyone,' said another member, stressing that these perspectives are inclusive and better aligned with Indian cultural realities.
However, several faculty members present at the meeting raised strong objections. According to them, the Chair not only dismissed discussions on international conflicts but also objected to the inclusion of topics such as dating apps, the Minority Stress Theory, and the psychology of diversity.
In a unit of a paper titled 'Digital Lives and Mental Health', which explores the psychological impact of dating apps, some faculty members present at the meeting said that the Chair said such topics were unnecessary, adding that 'our Indian family system and arranged marriage traditions are strong, and we need not imbibe everything from the West.'
Professor Urmi Nanda Biswas, Head of the Department of Psychology, however, is learnt to have defended the topic, citing recent cases of mental health crises and suicides linked to dating app usage among youth.
The Minority Stress Theory—used to study how social stressors affect marginalised communities—was also flagged for removal by the Chair, claimed a few members, alongside objections to the teaching of caste, gender, and prejudice within the Psychology of Diversity paper.
But another set of members on the committee said, 'Stress is universal. In India, the only minority is the Muslim minority,' referring to a narrower framing of psychological vulnerability.
Meanwhile, some faculty members present at the meeting called the proposed revisions 'politically motivated'. 'This is not just about syllabus design. This is about academic freedom,' said Monami Sinha, a member of the Standing Committee and Associate Professor at Kamala Nehru College. 'It is concerning that the autonomy of the Department seems to be overlooked, as the Chair's actions appear to be politically motivated and represent unwarranted interference in academic decision-making,' she said.
A new panel has been constituted to revisit the syllabus, with final recommendations expected by May 6.