“There is no place for Western thought”: The theme of the Duchy Commission in Israel-Palestine, Kashmir and dating apps, sparked controversy
According to a TOI report, Professor Singh said: “Kashmir has been resolved.”
Reject dating apps and diversity themes
In addition to the controversial removal of conflict topics, the committee rejected the proposal for dating app psychology under the Digital Media section. The topic has been added to the syllabus given the growing concerns about suicides associated with the abuse of such platforms.
Urmi Nanda Biswas, head of the psychology department, believes that understanding dating apps is crucial for students, especially given their role in recent youth suicides. However, the committee chair rejected the need to include it, noting that “our Indian family system is strong” and that “western thinking” is not required in terms of dating culture.
Another major proposal involves the inclusion of minority stress theory related to caste discrimination, misogyny, and prejudice in Indian society. Although some committee members argued for the importance of teaching these contemporary issues, Professor Singh reportedly dismissed these topics too negative.
Concerns about academic autonomy and political intervention
Dr. Monami Sinha, member of the Academic Committee and Standing Committee, raised concerns about the Chairman’s impact on the syllabus. “The autonomy of the sector seems to be overlooked because the Chairman’s actions seem to be politically motivated and represent unnecessary intervention in academic decision-making,” Dr. Sinha commented.
Her remarks highlighted widespread attention to academic freedom, and critics fear that the syllabus was shaped by external political pressure rather than academic merits.
A new team to complete the work outline
Due to controversy, a new group has been formed to revisit the syllabus. The revised proposal will be submitted to the Standing Committee again.
The rejected unit 4, titled “Conflict and Conflict Resolution”, aims to provide students with psychological perspectives on the nature of international and racial conflict. This includes the psychological impact of aggression and structural violence, as well as case studies on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Kashmir and India-Pakistan disputes, and tensions in northeastern India, especially Nagaran and Manipur.
Additionally, the department has proposed an elective entitled “Relationship Science” (DSE), which aims to dig deep into the psychology of love, attraction, and online relationships, including the use of dating apps. The department believes that the topic is important in helping students build healthy relationships in a rapidly changing social landscape.
The proposal is also another elective for the workplace, diversity and inclusion (DSE 12). This includes frameworks such as the theory of minority stress, which are widely used to understand the mental health challenges faced by marginalized groups in professional settings. However, this was also rejected by the committee.
The psychological needs of Indian youth continue to develop
Dr. Sinha believes that these themes are crucial to understanding modern Indian society, especially in the context of psychological challenges faced by youth in the digital age. She stressed the importance of addressing issues such as caste discrimination, prejudice, and the mental health impact of online relationships.
“Understanding the psychology of oppression and prejudice, as well as the evolving large-scale psychology of young people in artificial intelligence and online relationships, is crucial to developing a comprehensive psychological framework,” Dr. Sinha said.
The controversy surrounding the syllabus proposal highlights a greater debate in India’s educational system on the balance between tradition and modernity and the role of academic institutions in solving pressing social problems.
(Input with TOI)
