Degrees of Change: DU’s New Curriculum Builds Brains and Buildings

Image Source: Shiksha

Academic Shake-Up Delhi University's Executive Council has sanctioned sweeping changes to syllabi across departments, with approval and objection. Most significantly, Pakistan, Islam, and China courses were eliminated from postgraduate Political Science. Sociology reforms omitted cornerstone theorists such as Karl Marx and Thomas Malthus, and Psychology courses now draw on Indian epics in resolving conflict. Critics say these changes circumvented democratic academic procedure and violated disciplinary integrity.

Key Highlights

New courses in journalism and nuclear medicine

Studies on dating apps based on Relationship Science coursework

Focus turned to Indian religious texts in Sociology of Law

EC member Rudrashish Chakraborty referred to the shifts as ideological interference

Infrastructure Expansion The university is heavily investing in campus expansion, with 17 projects on hand that will cost over Rs 1,912 crore. They are:

Girls' and working women's hostel at Dhaka campus

Cultural Activity Centre near Shankar Lal Hall

New buildings for schools in North and South campuses

Solar power plants with SECI tie-up

Structural assessment and strengthening of old hostel buildings

Fourth-Year UG Rollout DU affirmed preparedness for fourth year of undergraduate studies in line with NEP 2020:

Over 60% of the students expected to enroll

Permanent instructors to handle senior classes; visiting instructors to handle juniors

Wi-Fi connectivity and 24x7 access to more than two lakh e-resources finalized

Incubators and Section-8 companies are asked to be launched by principals

Sources: Hindustan Times, Indian Express, Economic Times, Business Standard, Devdiscourse