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The Hindu
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
DU professor claims psychology syllabus faced scrutiny at standing committee meeting
A member of the Delhi University's Academic Council has raised concerns over what she described as undue scrutiny and interference in the psychology syllabus during a meeting of the university's Standing Committee on Academic Matters on Friday. No immediate response was available from the university. According to Monami Sinha, Associate Professor at the Kamala Nehru College and a member of both the Academic Council and the standing committee, several key areas of the syllabus were questioned, particularly for the inclusion of western perspectives and politically-sensitive topics. Major point of contention The Psychology of Peace course was a major point of discussion, especially Unit four, which deals with conflict and conflict resolution through case studies like the Israel-Palestine conflict and the Kashmir issue. Ms. Sinha claimed that there were calls to remove this unit altogether, with assertions that the Kashmir issue was already resolved and that teaching the Israel-Palestine conflict was unnecessary. It was proposed, she said, that the unit be replaced with Indian philosophical texts, such as the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita, to reflect indigenous perspectives on peace. Ms. Sinha also said objections were raised against content related to social media and dating apps, which form part of another elective. The argument, she said, was that such topics were not appropriate for Indian classrooms and that the curriculum should reflect traditional family values instead. This, despite the relevance of such topics in light of growing mental health concerns and recent incidents involving youngsters and online platforms. She further claimed that proposals were made to drop the Minority Stress Theory from the syllabus, a key framework for understanding the psychological experiences of marginalised groups. Additionally, she noted objections to the inclusion of themes like caste discrimination, misogyny, and prejudice under Psychology of Diversity, with suggestions to adopt a more positive approach instead. Ms. Sinha said these are deeply relevant issues in contemporary Indian society. 'Understanding the psychology of oppression, discrimination and evolving youth behaviour in the age of AI and social media is essential. Diluting these topics undermines the academic depth of the discipline,' she added. Ms. Sinha expressed concern that the department's academic autonomy is being compromised. "The nature of the objections appears politically motivated. Academic decisions should be based on pedagogy and research, not ideology," she said.
New Indian Express
03-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
DU syllabus row: Panel chair seeks to drop lessons on Kashmir, Israel-Palestine, dating apps, minority stress
NEW DELHI: Delhi University's Psychology syllabus came under scrutiny during the standing committee meeting of the varsity's academic affairs on Friday, after the chair professor proposed removing chapters on Israel-Palestine conflict, Kashmir, dating apps, and minority stress. Raising concerns over the syllabus content, the chair professor pointed out that Unit 4, which covers 'Conflict and Conflict Resolution', addresses the Israel-Palestine conflict and the Kashmir issue. The chair stated that the Kashmir issue stands resolved, and there was no point in teaching the Israel-Palestine conflict. It should be replaced with the Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita to understand the psychology of peace better. He also insisted on removing dating apps as a topic. This was met with resistance by the HoD who cited the importance of understanding the psychology of social media, particularly in light of recent tragic incidents, such as suicides. However, the chair remained resolute, saying, 'We need not teach about dating apps to young people. Our Indian family system and system of arranged marriages and low divorce rates are excellent in itself. We need not imbibe everything from the West.' Additionally, the chair requested the removal of the Minority Stress Theory, which is a crucial area of study in psychology, particularly in understanding the experiences of marginalised groups. Dr Monami Sinha, a Member of the Academic Council and standing committee on academic affairs, said, 'The topics under scrutiny are significant, especially in the context of society where issues such as caste discrimination, misogyny, and psychology of marginalised groups remain relevant.' What Chair proposes
The Print
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
DU professor claims psychology syllabus faced scrutiny at standing committee meeting
According to Monami Sinha, Associate Professor at the Kamala Nehru College and a member of both the Academic Council and the standing committee, several key areas of the syllabus were questioned, particularly for the inclusion of western perspectives and politically-sensitive topics. No immediate response was available from the university. New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) A member of the Delhi University's Academic Council has raised concerns over what she described as undue scrutiny and interference in the psychology syllabus during a meeting of the university's Standing Committee on Academic Matters on Friday. The 'Psychology of Peace' course was a major point of discussion, especially Unit 4, which deals with conflict and conflict resolution through case studies like the Israel-Palestine conflict and the Kashmir issue. Sinha claimed that there were calls to remove this unit altogether, with assertions that the Kashmir issue was 'already resolved' and that teaching the Israel-Palestine conflict was unnecessary. It was proposed, she said, that the unit be replaced with Indian philosophical texts, such as the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita, to reflect indigenous perspectives on peace. Sinha also said objections were raised against content related to social media and dating apps, which form part of another elective. The argument, she said, was that such topics were not appropriate for Indian classrooms and that the curriculum should reflect traditional family values instead. This, despite the relevance of such topics in light of growing mental health concerns and recent incidents involving youngsters and online platforms. She further claimed that proposals were made to drop the Minority Stress Theory from the syllabus — a key framework for understanding the psychological experiences of marginalised groups. Additionally, she noted objections to the inclusion of themes like caste discrimination, misogyny and prejudice under 'Psychology of Diversity', with suggestions to adopt a more 'positive' approach instead. 'These are deeply-relevant issues in contemporary Indian society,' Sinha said. 'Understanding the psychology of oppression, discrimination and evolving youth behaviour in the age of AI and social media is essential. Diluting these topics undermines the academic depth of the discipline,' she added. Sinha expressed concern that the department's academic autonomy is being compromised. 'The nature of the objections appears politically motivated. Academic decisions should be based on pedagogy and research, not ideology,' she said. PTI MHS RC This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
The Hindu
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
First FYUP batch enters final year in July but syllabus not yet ready
Even as Delhi University (DU)'s first batch of the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) is set to enter the final year in July, there is still no clarity on the syllabus for the last two semesters. On Friday, the university's Standing Committee on Academic Matters discussed the syllabus for the seventh and eighth semesters. Prof. Monami Sinha, a panel member, said that in the proposed syllabus for Psychology, a unit titled 'Psychology of Peace' was sent back to the department for reconsideration. 'In chapter 4, which covers conflict and conflict resolution, the proposed syllabus included the study of the Indo-Pakistan and Israel-Palestine conflicts, and case studies from Kashmir,' said Prof. Sinha. 'The chairperson [Prof. Prakash Singh] said he would not entertain any debate on these topics. He said the Kashmir issue had already been resolved and there was no need to teach the Israel-Palestine conflict. As a result, the chapter was proposed to be removed entirely, with a suggestion to include Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita to better understand the 'Psychology of Peace',' she added. The Hindu tried reaching out to Prof. Singh, but received no response. The FYUP was envisaged in the National Education Policy, 2020. It was introduced in DU in 2022. Under the four-year programme, a student will receive an undergraduate certificate after completing one year, an undergraduate diploma after two years, an undergraduate degree after the third year, and an undergraduate degree with a research specialisation after the fourth year. After the fourth year, the students could complete their Master's in a year. Rajesh Jha, a member of Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti, the Aam Aadmi Party's student wing, said, 'Every department has made their syllabus with careful consideration, in the academic context, to encourage critical thinking. But the syllabus is now being made to suit their political orientation.' He claimed that according to the committee members, the Biochemistry proposed syllabus was also sent back to the department as the committee objected to topics like 'sexual orientation, caste and gender'.
