Delhi University adds paper on Savarkar to BA political science syllabus; will be taught before Gandhi

NEW DELHI: Delhi University has introduced a paper on the life and works of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar or ‘Veer Savarkar’ in the BA political science (Hons) syllabus for the four-year undergraduate course (FYUP). This is the first time that an entire paper is being dedicated to Savarkar.

“There is a full paper on Veer Savarkar in semester 6. It will focus on his idea on Hindutva, his idea on Hindu-Muslim relations, his idea on religious conversion, his sense of Indian history, his role in the freedom struggle, etc. The syllabus was unanimously passed in the Academic Council, said Sangit Kumar Ragi, head of department, political science, Delhi University.

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Some Academic Council members, during the meeting, asked for clarification on whether the paper on Savarkar will precede the paper on Gandhi.

“I asked them to clarify whether Gandhi or Savarkar will come first. They said that Savarkar would come first since they are going by chronology. Then I pointed out that if we are going by chronology Gandhi would still come first to which they agreed,” said Alok Pandey, member of Academic Council.

BA Political Science: Savarkar before Gandhi

Delhi University officials confirmed that the paper on Veer Savarkar will be taught first as the syllabus will go from easier topics to more difficult ones.

“Gandhi will be taught in the seventh or eighth semester. For BA honours students, we go from the easier topics to the more difficult topics,” said Ragi.

Delhi University has introduced a new undergraduate curriculum framework (UGCF) in 2022 to be more in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Although the framework was introduced last year, the university is still in the process of approving syllabus on a semester by semester basis.

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The Delhi University Academic Council approved a slew of decisions on Friday which included a resolution to drop Pakistan’s national poet Muhammad Iqbal from the political science syllabus. The council had also passed resolutions to form the Centre for Independence and Partition Studies, Centre for Tribal Studies, and the new Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) amid dissents from members.

According to documents, the Centre for Independence and Partition Studies will facilitate research on the "high voltage politics" following the country's partition and how the then central leadership failed to contain the "germs of separatism". It will also focus on the "non-insistence of central leadership on having the Frontier Province with India" and the way the "Congress Working Committee consented to the Partition without consulting (Mahatma) Gandhi".