Changes in Economics syllabus: The Academic Council (AC) of the University of Delhi (DU) has substituted ‘Economics of Discrimination’ with ‘Economic Thought of Ambedkar’ in the undergraduate Economics curriculum. This new paper will be introduced beginning with the 2023–2024 academic year and will become part of the university’s UG Economics curriculum.
Yogesh Singh, vice chancellor of the University of Delhi, established a six-member committee to revise the Economics curriculum. Members of the AC who disagreed with the proposed changes argued that this would circumvent the democratic process of syllabus creation.
Academic Changes due to Changes in Economics syllabus at DU
Academics assert that these changes to the curriculum will render the teaching of economics meaningless, and that students will be unable to obtain the desired understanding of the subject due to the absent links. The professor asserts that ‘Economics of Discrimination’ and ‘Economic Thought of Ambedkar’ should be taught together for greater comprehension.
Saumyajit Bhattacharya, associate professor of Economics at DU’s Kirori Mal College, told Education Times, “The alterations are not in the academic interest of students. The first paper on ‘Economy, State, and Society’ (ESS) has been drastically reduced, rendering it insignificant. As a result of adding new readings without consideration, the topic will lose its relevance.
“The third paper on ‘Economics of Discrimination’ has been substituted with ‘Economic Thought of Ambedkar’, which will end the discussion on discrimination in the country. The book ‘Economics of Discrimination’ covered social issues such as caste, gender, ethnicity, and disability. It also highlighted the multiple dimensions and technical measures of discrimination, property rights, and land ownership in India, which are a living reality. This paper also examined how one form of discrimination intersected with another using an economic framework. The 21st century’s pertinent issues must be understood by the student body, according to Bhattacharya.
Experts Analysis
Bhattacharya adds that the paper on discrimination included a crucial section from Ambedkar’s writings, but it had a much broader focus and would have enabled students to grasp the essence of how discrimination manifests itself in contemporary society.
Monami Sinha, associate professor of Economics at Kamla Nehru College and one of the dissenting members of AC, explains, “At the first AC meeting, teachers from a non-economic background belonging to the National Democratic Teachers Front (NDTF) objected to three papers titled ‘Economics, State, and Society,’ ‘Production, Relations, and Globalisation,’ and ‘Economics of Discrimination.'”
At the most recent AC meeting, it was decided that the ‘Economics of Discrimination’ paper would be replaced by the ‘Ambedkar’ paper, and a few minor modifications were made to the ‘Production, Relations, and Globalisation’ paper. “The faculty appreciates the Ambedkar paper, but it should not have been substituted for the ‘Economics of Discrimination’ paper. The Ambedkar paper should have been taught during the even semester, while the ‘Economics of Discrimination’ paper should have been taught during the odd semester. These two documents are complementary and cannot be substituted for one another, Sinha explains.