scorecardresearch
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Support Our Journalism
HomeIndiaEducationDU drops Iqbal from syllabus, approves new centres for Partition, Hindu &...

DU drops Iqbal from syllabus, approves new centres for Partition, Hindu & Tribal studies

Several members of DU academic council opposed syllabi changes & raised issue of displacement of ad-hoc teachers.

Follow Us :
Text Size:

New Delhi: The Delhi University in its academic council meeting Friday brought in a flurry of changes, including the removal of Urdu poet Mohammad Iqbal from its Bachelor of Arts (BA) political science syllabus, officials privy to the decision told ThePrint.

In a press release issued Saturday, the university stated that a discussion over Iqbal’s writings came up during the meeting.
“Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh in the meeting suggested that instead of reading about personalities that wanted to divide the country, personalities who helped in nation-building should be taught. He encouraged the courses on Gandhi and Ambedkar be taught instead,” read the release.

Registrar Vikas Gupta told ThePrint Saturday that the university is looking at increasing the number of courses on Ambedkar instead.

Iqbal, touted to be Pakistan’s spiritual father, was also its national poet. The author of Saare Jahan se achha’, he remained among the most notable poets in Urdu and Persian literature until his death in 1938. His works were a part of the DU’s BA political science paper called “Modern Indian political thought”.

The Delhi unit of RSS-affiliated student union Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) welcomed the decision to scrap Iqbal from the syllabus. “Delhi University academic council decided to scrap fanatic theological scholar Mohd Iqbal from DU’s political science syllabus. Mohd Iqbal is called the ‘philosophical father of Pakistan’. He was the key player in establishing Jinnah as a leader in Muslim League. Mohd Iqbal is as responsible for India’s Partition as Mohammad Ali Jinnah is,” read a statement issued by the ABVP Friday. 

At Friday’s meeting, the council also approved proposals to set up new centres on campus for Partition Studies, Hindu Studies and Tribal Studies. Changes brought in by the academic council, however, saw opposition from many council members on separate issues. 

A resolution to replace the Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed.) programme, which was introduced in 1994, with the central government’s four-year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP), was also approved at the meeting. 

The move on ITEP saw dissent from six members of the academic council, who said there was no consultation in this regard with the teachers. In a statement, council members argued that the Committee of Courses and Faculty of Education have been completely bypassed in bringing the notification on ITEP directly to the academic council.

These decisions will get the final stamp of approval in the executive council meeting scheduled for 9 June. 


Also Read: Hindu College—a revolution started by businessmen, championed by freedom fighters


Mixed reaction 

Members of the academic council raised concerns over several decisions taken during the day-long meeting of the academic council. The issue of displacement of ad-hoc teachers was one of the issues raised, members privy to the proceedings informed ThePrint.

In a statement, professor Mithuraj Dhusia, a member of the academic council, said, “We strongly demanded justice for displaced temporary and ad-hoc teachers. There should not be any displacement and all the existing ad-hoc and temporary teachers must be retained.” 

He added that it is the collective responsibility of colleges and Delhi University administration that working teachers don’t meet the same fate as Samarveer Singh — a teacher who died by suicide at Hindu College in April this year.

The statement endorsed by eight council members sought a probe into the concerns over the issue of displacement of ad-hoc teachers. The dissenting teachers in the statement said DU was acting as a mute spectator while teachers were being displaced. 

“There are very serious allegations of politically motivated nepotism and unfair interview process that often borders on the farcical. Candidates have been humiliated during the interviews, mocked and have been asked questions that have no relevance to their academic discipline,” the statement added. 

Meanwhile, at least five council members opposed the proposal on Partition Studies. 

Calling the setting up of the partition centre “divisive”, the five DU professors said in a signed statement, “The proposal for the centre is meant to be divisive. Its objective states that the centre will study past invasions, suffering and slavery over 1,300 years. It is offensive, communally divisive and intellectually coherent.” 

“A discussion on 1,300 years will only provide an opportunity for venomous communal speeches,” added the statement.

(Edited by Richa Mishra)


Also Read: ‘Sign of CUET popularity’ — pvt universities make up 50% of institutes registered for common test in 2nd year


 

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube, Telegram & WhatsApp

Support Our Journalism

India needs fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. ThePrint – with exceptional reporters, columnists and editors – is doing just that.

Sustaining this needs support from wonderful readers like you.

Whether you live in India or overseas, you can take a paid subscription by clicking here.

Support Our Journalism

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular