Nagpur University sparks controversy; replaces Communist Party with BJP in the MA curriculum

Another debate over curriculum in the nation has been sparked by Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University’s inclusion of the “Bharatiya Janata Party” in its MA history syllabus. The university’s decision to replace the history of the Communist Party with the history of the BJP in its MA, 4th Semester syllabus has received harsh condemnation from the opposition, particularly the left party.

The university has replaced a chapter on DMK, an ally of the Congress, with AIADMK, a BJP ally. According to the sources, a chapter describing the Khalistan movement has also been left out.

A new chapter named “Indian Mass Movements from 1980-2000” has reportedly been added,  centred around the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, which had a huge influence on India’s socio-political scene. When the university added a chapter on the RSS, which has its headquarters in Nagpur, to the BA history fourth-semester course in 2019, it sparked a comparable debate.

Jan Sangh, the predecessor of BJP, was already covered in the curriculum

The addition of BJP is acceptable, according to Shyam Koretti, head of the NU Board of Studies (history), whose team created the new syllabus. The curriculum previously covered the Jan Sangh, the BJP’s forerunner.

As reported by the media, “We removed CPI as it is no longer a national party and added BJP, which was not in the old syllabus despite having a national foothold. We have included BJP’s history only till 2010. We cannot teach wrong things to the students,” added Koretti.

Opposition’s response:

Vijay Wadettiwar, the leader of the opposition in the legislature, criticised the action, viewing it as a reflection of the nation’s course. He declared, “They (BJP) are imposing their ideology of casteism, religion and hatred on the citizens. RSS, which founded BJP, never respected women. What is there to teach about BJP?” Wadettiwar continues by questioning the BJP’s role in India’s growth and liberation fight.

Similar changes were made to the elective papers in the undergraduate Economics curriculum by the Delhi University Academic Council a few months back. The article “Economics of Discrimination” has been changed to “Economic Thought of Ambedkar,” among other things. Small changes were made to the paper on “Production Relations and Globalisation,” and the reading list for the paper on “Economy, State, and Society” was revised.

The Delhi University’s vice chancellor:

The Delhi University’s vice chancellor, Yogesh Singh, appointed a six-person team to review the Economics curriculum. The strategy will allegedly avoid the democratic process of curriculum construction, according to Academic Council members who oppose the modification.

While readings on Mahatma Gandhi have been pushed to the seventh semester, the University of Delhi has also added a section on Hindutva ideologist VD Savarkar for the fifth semester.

The need of the hour is to include information on the new national party BJP with a national presence. The younger generation has a stagnated perception of our country as a result of persistence of outdated, repeating syllabi centred on the CPI. We have forgotten our political history is diverse and ever-changing, so instead of realising that we were the forerunners of the rest of the world, we always praise the West, Japan, and China for their discipline, patriotism, etc. It is nearly impossible to modify a person’s ideas once they have graduated or completed their post-graduate studies, whether they are good or negative. Thus, textbooks used in schools and colleges are a very effective medium for imparting proper education to pupils.

To better understand the specifics of this controversy and its implications, it would be advisable to refer to recent news reports, official statements from the university, and academic experts’ opinions on the matter.

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