Delhi University (DU) is facing backlash from faculty members over a proposed revision to its MA Political Science syllabus that may see the removal of key courses related to Pakistan, China, Islam, and political violence.
Courses such as ‘Pakistan and the World’, ‘China’s Role in the Contemporary World’, ‘Islam and International Relations’, ‘Pakistan: State and Society’, and ‘Religious Nationalism and Political Violence’ are reportedly set to be dropped or replaced, sparking criticism from academics who argue that these topics are vital to understanding contemporary geopolitics.
The proposed changes come in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. University Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh told ANI that department heads were instructed to remove any perceived "unnecessary glorification" of Pakistan from academic materials.
Faculty Pushes Back Over Academic Freedom
The move has drawn strong criticism from within the university. Dr. Monami Sinha, a member of DU’s Standing Committee on Academic Matters, warned that removing these subjects could seriously undermine students’ understanding of key geopolitical players, according to HT.
"It is imperative to study Pakistan in detail. Pedagogically, we need to foster scholarship on Pakistan, as it remains one of India's persistent foreign policy concerns," Dr. Sinha said, adding that China’s growing role in the Global South also demands thorough academic attention.
Abha Dev, Secretary of the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), condemned the proposed syllabus revisions, calling them a threat to academic autonomy. “These forced changes are retrograde and politically motivated. The dumbing down of courses based on ideology, rather than scholarly inquiry, will hurt academic standards and students’ critical understanding,” she said to HT.
While DU administration maintains that the revisions are in line with national priorities and academic "rationalization," faculty members argue that such decisions should stem from scholarly debate, not political pressure.
