17-07-2025
DU Plans To Drop Key PG Syllabus Texts On Hindu Nationalism, Islam Readings
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Delhi University may drop key PG syllabus content on Hindu nationalism, Islam, caste, and LGBTQ+ issues following proposed changes discussed in a June 25 committee meeting.
In a fresh round of syllabus revisions, Delhi University is set to remove several key readings and units from its postgraduate Political Science, Geography, and Sociology courses. Discussed during the Standing Committee meeting held on 25th June 2025, the proposed changes target content related to religious nationalism, internal conflict, caste dynamics, and LGBTQ+ issues, with entire papers and sections recommended for removal.
In Geography, the PG course 'Territorial Bases of Politics in India" has been recommended for revision, particularly the unit on Internal Conflicts and Problems of Nation Building. A key reading by Paul Brass on Hindu-Muslim violence was flagged for deletion.
The Social Geography course also underwent changes, with a unit on the population distribution of Scheduled Castes being marked as problematic. The entire elective on Vulnerability and Disaster is proposed to be dropped.
In the Sociology syllabus, the course Introduction to Sociological Theory was critiqued for focusing solely on Western scholars like Marx, Weber, and Durkheim. Suggestions were made to include Indian theorists and discussions on traditional family systems. A reading by Kath Weston on LGBTQ+ kinship structures was objected to, citing legal and cultural inappropriateness.
In Sociology of Religion, standard academic terms like 'church", 'sect", and 'cult" were flagged. The Chair proposed replacing them with Indian equivalents such as rishi-muni to reflect cultural specificity.
Several key readings, including Blom Hansen's analysis of Hindu nationalism and works on caste geographies and Muharram processions, were also listed for deletion.
Some committee members, including Dr Monami Sinha, raised concerns about these changes, emphasising that such content is crucial for developing a comprehensive understanding of India's socio-political landscape and foreign policy challenges.
A follow-up meeting is scheduled for July to review and possibly finalise the changes. Faculty members have raised objections, urging the university to preserve academic diversity and critical engagement in postgraduate education.
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