Teachers allege DU rushing physics syllabus revision

NEW DELHI : Delhi University’s physics department is revising its syllabus for the (Choice Based Credit System) CBCS course and has asked college teachers to send their suggestions within a week through email.

The move has not gone down well with many teachers. Physics teachers from different colleges said they received a message on a Google group informing them the department has been given the task to reform the CBCS course structure and it has to be finalised by next week.

“How can we give suggestions within one week and that too over emails. This is not how syllabus revision is done. There is no clarity on what suggestions they are asking for. And finally what about teachers who are not on the Google group,” said Naveen Gaur, who teaches Physics at Dyal Singh college.

Teachers said the syllabus was last revised in 2008 and at that time all teachers were invited for a discussion.

“No serious meaningful revision can happen in a week’s time. Nor it can happen over emails as it is difficult to keep track of suggestions and take majority opinion on emails. It is important to adhere to a procedure that increases the possibility of a meaningful course revision,” Abha Dev Habib, who teaches Physics at Miranda House said.

As a practice, syllabus revision is done by calling a meeting of all teachers after which subgroups are made to work on different papers. The subgroups submit their suggestions, which are then taken up by a committee of courses. The changes are then approved by the academic council and executive council.

Head of the department Pankaj Jain dismissed concerns that the process was being rushed. Jain said the one-week deadline was only to receive suggestions and the process to revise the syllabus will take time. “The suggestions received will be placed before the committee of courses which is meeting next Thursday. There will be consultations with teachers and process will be followed,” he said.

The message sent from the department said, “…You people have been teaching these courses for last many semesters now and are the best persons to discuss its positive points as well as drawbacks. Please send your concrete suggestions, if any, at this forum. This, I think may be a final opportunity for us. Please share this information with your other colleagues who are not in this google group.”