Delhi University drops Delhi Sultanate paper from PG History syllabus

The University of Delhi has dropped several papers from its postgraduate History syllabus, including a decades-old core paper on the Delhi Sultanate. The number of elective options for Semester III has been reduced from 38 to 16, raising faculty concerns.

The University of Delhi has dropped several long-running papers from the newly notified Semester III postgraduate History syllabus, including a paper on the Delhi Sultanate that had been taught as a core Medieval India paper for several decades, sources in the university's History Department told ANI.

The most notable omission is The Delhi Sultanate: Structures of Authority in Medieval North India (13th-14th Centuries). The paper focused on the formation of the medieval state, structures of authority, political power and religious and cultural developments in medieval North India.

Other Key Papers Omitted

According to sources in the History Department, several other long-running papers have also not been included in the newly notified syllabus. Professor K. Ratnabali, Dean of Academic Affairs, did not respond to ANI calls seeking a response on the reasons behind the omissions. These include History of North India, c. 1400-1550, Gender and Women in Early India: 1500 BCE to 1000 CE, Political Processes and Structure of Polities in Ancient India, and Religion and Society in Ancient Indian Literature.

Reduced Electives Spark Concern

Sources said the History Department had proposed 38 Discipline Specific Elective (DSE) papers for Semester III. However, only 16 DSE papers were included in the final syllabus notification, leaving several of the proposed papers out. The omitted papers cover major themes and periods in Indian history, including medieval political structures, gender and social history in ancient India, political formations and religious traditions. The Delhi Sultanate paper, in particular, dealt with the emergence and consolidation of political authority in medieval North India and examined the structures through which the Sultanate state exercised power.

A source in the History Department said the reduction in the number of DSE options has raised concerns among faculty members over the range of specialised courses available to postgraduate students. The university is currently restructuring its postgraduate programmes under the National Education Policy framework, with changes being made to course structures and paper offerings. (ANI)

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