Too much Western thought: Delhi University panel on psychology unit

The chair of Delhi University’s (DU) Standing Committee for Academic Affairs has recommended the removal of a chapter on conflict resolution in the psychology syllabus that includes discussions on the Israel-Palestine conflict, Kashmir, and India’s North-East, suggesting instead that students study the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita to better understand the “psychology of peace,” according to at least two officials present at a committee meeting on Friday.

Chair professor Shri Prakash Singh reportedly objected to several other units in the psychology syllabus as well, including those on “minority stress theory,” “psychology of diversity,” and “dating apps,” stressing that the course included “too much Western thought.”

The committee had convened on Friday to review draft syllabi for the seventh and eighth semesters of various undergraduate departments, marking a critical stage in finalising coursework for the university’s first four-year undergraduate batch, scheduled to begin in August. The syllabi for psychology and biochemistry, committee members said, were sent back for revision.

To be sure, the standing committee can only make recommendations. The final approval rests with the academic council, which is set to meet on May 10.

Monami Sinha, an associate professor at Kamala Nehru College and a member of both the standing committee and academic council, said the psychology syllabus had “come under intense scrutiny,” with the chair questioning the inclusion of Western perspectives.

According to the psychology department’s proposal, Unit 4 of a discipline-specific elective titled “Psychology of Peace” deals with conflict and its resolution. Topics include: the nature of conflict (international and ethnic), direct aggression and structural violence, the impact of international wars, and methods of conflict resolution including negotiation and mediation. Case studies cited include Israel-Palestine, Kashmir, the India-Pakistan conflict, and the North-East, particularly Nagaland and Manipur.

HT has seen the proposal.

According to members from the committee, the observations were made by the chair and were supported by other university officials.

“The chair firmly stated that he would not entertain any debate on these topics (the Israel-Palestine conflict and the Kashmir issue), arguing that the Kashmir issue had already been resolved and there was no need to teach the Israel-Palestine conflict,” Sinha said. “He suggested removing the entire unit and replacing it with content from the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita.”

The chair also reportedly raised objections to the inclusion of units on “dating apps” and “minority stress theory”.

However, Sinha said that the head of the department (HoD) defended the dating app unit, highlighting the relevance of understanding the psychology of social media and online relationships, particularly in light of recent incidents such as suicides linked to dating app use.

“These topics are undeniably significant, especially in the context of contemporary Indian society where issues such as caste discrimination, misogyny, and the psychology of marginalized groups remain deeply relevant,” Sinha said.

Abha Dev Habib, a teacher from Miranda House, said the chair’s objections sounded politically motivated, “Each department has the autonomy to decide what they want to include in the syllabus, because teachers of that department know the best. The way each unit of each paper in the Psychology syllabus has been taken up and scrutinised is really uncalled for. This should worry teachers and parents,” the teacher said.

A member of the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was alarming that academic suggestions from departments were being disregarded. “The administration is raising concerns about syllabus length, but academic content cannot be sacrificed just to fit timeslots. If there’s discomfort with themes like caste, gender, or sexual orientation, that is deeply concerning,” the faculty member said. “At a time when these issues are so central to our lived reality, we cannot afford to be guided by retrogressive thinking.”