Delhi University social sciences in semester tangle

A meeting of all the social sciences departments of Delhi University (DU) on Wednesday could not repeat the success of the faculty of arts in ratifying the introduction of semester system at the undergraduate level from the new academic year.

The faculty of social sciences comprises departments of sociology, history, geography, social work, East Asian studies, economics, political science, African studies and adult, continuing education and extension.

Though the meeting lasted for over four hours, none of the nine departments could approve the semester- based syllabus of even one undergraduate programme for they were either not ready with the revised content ( economics and political science) or that their history) were opposed to semesterisation in “ haste”. The department of social work, which was ready with its semesterised syllabus, too could not get the parent faculty to ratify the revision as members felt they needed time to read and deliberate on the content tabled at the meeting.

The next meeting of the faculty of the social sciences departments is scheduled on April 15.

As opposed to this, the faculty of arts had greenlighted as many as 30 undergraduate semester- based programmes across 11 disci- plines last week.

“ Everyone at the meeting felt that there was no clarity on the module on which the departments should frame their syllabus in semester mode. How many papers should a subject have? How many marks should they carry? How many students in each tutorial group? We have asked the dean ( Nandini Sundar) to write to the university asking for a clarification on this front,” said K. K. Anand, professor of political science from Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College, who was present at the meeting.

Sources said that the dean will also write to the colleges seeking their feedback on the semester system.

DU had introduced the semester system in 13 undergraduate science programmes in 2010 and wants to do the same in the remaining arts, social science and commerce programmes this time on the logic that a university cannot run in “ dual mode”. In its bid to achieve this, the registrar has also written strongly- worded letters to the heads of dissenting departments such as history and sociology directing them to fall in line.

Such “ strong- arming” by the authorities was not taken too kindly by the members of the social sciences departments present at the meeting on Wednesday.

“ There was strong condemnation of the letters sent by the registrar to the head of the history department specifically.

The tone and tenor of the letter is threatening and dean has been asked to write an equally strong rebuttal for the same to the vice- chancellor,” Saroj Giri, a professor at the department of political science, said.