NEW DELHI: In a move that has sparked debate in academic circles, Delhi University’s English Department has included poems by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the Post-Independence Indian Literatures paper for its postgraduate syllabus.
The decision has drawn criticism from students and scholars who argued on Friday that Vajpayee’s work lacks the literary depth and critical engagement required for postgraduate-level study. Many questions were raised soon after the Executive Council (EC) meeting on Friday approved the addition of Vajpayee’s poems.
Mithuraaj Dhusiya, a teacher activist and Executive Council member, questioned, “Why have celebrated Hindi poets such as Dhoomil, Nirala, and Muktibodh—figures known for capturing the complex socio-political realities of their time—been sidelined? Moreover, Vajpayee’s poems carry no literary value to figure in the postgraduate syllabus of the DU English Department.”
Meanwhile, a group of university teachers issued a strongly worded dissent note, raising concerns about what they describe as the growing politicisation of academic processes. They accused the Standing Committee of acting as a gatekeeper of ideological conformity instead of promoting scholarly debate. The teachers alleged that major changes are being made to the syllabus without proper academic consultation, which signals a worrying trend of censorship and centralised control in higher education.
This controversy follows the Executive Council’s approval of all syllabus changes in the departments of English, Sociology, and Psychology that were discussed in the Standing Committee meeting.
Referring to the English syllabus, one EC member who submitted the dissent note said the University has suffocated departments through arbitrary diktats. He said, “The undergraduate syllabi for the seventh and eighth semesters seem to be victims of this. The quality of the content is lacking. Each unit requires 15 lectures, adding up to 60 hours. How is this possible with the given structure (3L, 1T)? An arbitrary division of 45 hours among four units without properly revising the syllabus is unacceptable.”
The dissent note also pointed out other concerns with the approved undergraduate English syllabus. It stated that popular literature has been removed as a core paper, there is repetition of authors and texts, and the Discipline-Specific Elective (DSE) paper titled Interrogating Gender in Semester VIII has been removed without explanation in the draft syllabus, which appeared in the supplementary agenda.
Issues taken up
Ad-hoc hiring: Resume for short-term vacancies; fill full-time posts with permanent staff.
Leave for Associate Profs: No study/sabbatical leave for 7 yrs after promotion, blocking fellowship use.
UGC norm violation: Written tests for librarians & PE teachers go against UGC rules.
Instructors’ promotions: No promotion scheme or proper grade pays yet.
Leave policy: Clear maternity rules needed; seek paternity leave for ad-hoc/contract staff.