Delhi University’s (DU) Standing Committee on Academic Matters have proposed to drop an elective course on B R Ambedkar’s philosophy from an undergraduate programme.
Disagreeing with the suggestion, the Department of Philosophy has strongly opposed this idea and has requested the Vice Chancellor of DU, Yogesh Singh to retain the course.
The suggestion to drop the elective from BA Programme Philosophy by the Standing Committee was first discussed on May 8th.
A panel was appointed from the undergraduate and postgraduate levels to further elaborate on the same in a meeting on May 12. The committee is reviewing the curriculum in accordance with NEP 2020.
The department’s curriculum committee expressed “strong reservation” on the proposal on the ground that “Ambedkar is an indigenous thinker representative of the social aspirations of a majority of people in the country” and that research on Ambedkar is on the rise.
The University’s Department of Philosophy opposing this suggestion, said, "Ambedkar is an indigenous thinker representative of the social aspirations of a majority of people in the country” and that research on Ambedkar is gaining momentum in the country.
According to the Indian Express, a member of the Standing Committee reportedly said that no changes have been incorporated so far and that the final decision rests in the hands of the Academic Council, the varsity’s supreme decision-making body on academic matters.
Prof. Balram Pani, Standing Committee Chairperson and Dean of Colleges said, "The Ambedkar course is not being dropped and this suggestion was not given by the committee. The suggestion was that new courses and old courses should be mixed together and it should be designed in such a manner that it should be attractive to the students and it should be designed in a way that it will be adopted in many colleges also… We suggested philosophies of thinkers from all backgrounds should be added."
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