Fri May 02 20:11:11 UTC 2025: ## Delhi University Faces Backlash Over Controversial Syllabus Changes
**New Delhi, May 3, 2025** – The rollout of Delhi University’s four-year undergraduate program (FYUP) is facing controversy as the syllabus for the final two semesters remains unclear, prompting accusations of political interference. A planned “Psychology of Peace” unit, initially including case studies of the Indo-Pakistan and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, has been significantly altered.
According to Professor Monami Sinha, a member of the university’s Standing Committee on Academic Matters, the committee chairperson, Professor Prakash Singh, rejected the inclusion of these conflicts, stating that the Kashmir issue was “resolved” and the Israel-Palestine conflict was unnecessary. The proposed replacement? The Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita. Professor Singh did not respond to requests for comment.
Similar concerns have been raised regarding the Biochemistry syllabus, with alleged objections to topics such as “sexual orientation, caste, and gender.” Rajesh Jha of the Aam Aadmi Party’s student wing, Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti, criticized the changes, claiming they reflect a political agenda rather than academic considerations.
The FYUP, introduced in 2022 as part of the 2020 National Education Policy, is designed to offer undergraduate certificates, diplomas, and degrees over four years, with an optional fifth year for a master’s degree. The ongoing syllabus revisions threaten to undermine the program’s stated goal of fostering critical thinking. The controversy highlights growing concerns about political influence on academic curricula in Indian universities.
First Piper 