Delhi University (DU) plans to significantly restructure its Bachelor of Arts (BA) Programme for the 2026-27 academic year . The proposal targets combinations involving Modern Indian Languages (MILs) due to low student enrollment, a move alarming teachers and research scholars.
University officials presented the plan to college principals in late November, suggesting the reduction or discontinuation of subject combinations with low demand. This restructuring could severely impact MIL departments across DU colleges.
Proposal Targets Indian Languages
The DU admission branch recommended colleges revise their BA Programme seat matrices. The goal is to offer only ‘popular’ discipline combinations, eliminating those with fewer applicants. A presentation indicated Modern Indian Languages are primary candidates for reduction.
This proposal has drawn dissent from elected members of DU’s Academic and Executive Councils. Research scholars, like Sohail Khan, pursuing PhDs in languages such as Urdu, express concern over future job prospects. Khan stated, "If undergraduate and postgraduate courses are reduced, there will be no future recruitment."
Admission Data Driven Decisions
DU’s proposal stems from an analysis of undergraduate admission data from 2019 (pre-CUET) to 2025 (CUET-based). The data, presented to principals on November 28 , compared seat utilization before and after the introduction of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET UG) in 2022 .
In 2025 , DU filled 72,229 seats out of 71,642 sanctioned seats . In 2019 , 68,213 of 70,735 seats were filled. DU officials argue CUET made admissions more transparent by reducing over-admissions.
However, the presentation highlighted uneven enrollment. Commerce courses showed over 110% seat utilization , while science and general BA Programme courses were largely filled. Language courses recorded the lowest fill rate, at 81.22% .
Based on this analysis, officials suggested discontinuing or restructuring combinations with a preference-to-seat ratio below 50%. Teachers indicate combinations involving languages like Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, and Punjabi were specifically mentioned.
A notification issued on December 3 directed colleges to redraw BA Programme seat matrices and submit revised proposals by December 8 .
Teacher and Scholar Concerns
Mithuraaj Dhusiya, an Executive Council member, raised objections. His dissent note highlighted that BA Programme combinations with Indian languages already have very few seats. For example, Bengali has under 100 seats across six DU colleges.
Bengali BA Programme Seat Distribution
| College | Seats |
|---|---|
| Deshbandhu College | 10 |
| Dyal Singh College | 25 |
| Kirori Mal College | 16 |
| Miranda House | 6 |
| Zakir Husain (Morning & Evening) | 31 |
Tamil and Telugu courses show similar patterns, with Miranda House offering only five Tamil seats and Sri Venkateswara College offering 13 seats each for Tamil and Telugu.
Dhusiya’s note argues that closing small courses will not significantly address vacant seats. He warned that this would reduce teacher workloads and lead to the eventual elimination of faculty posts, especially in colleges where languages are only taught as part of BA Programmes.
CUET and Recruitment Issues
Faculty members blame the centralized CUET admission process and a lack of permanent teachers for declining enrollment. Imtiaz Ahmad, a faculty member in DU’s Urdu Department, noted Urdu has shrunk over years, now available in only nine colleges.
Tamil professor Uma Devi stated the primary issue is a lack of teachers. "If a college does not have a Tamil teacher, where will a student go to learn Tamil?" she asked. She noted only two permanent Tamil teachers exist in colleges, three in the department, and one each for Kannada, Malayalam, and Marathi across DU. She stated, "Whenever a teacher retires, the university simply does not recruit a new one."
Ahmad described this as "slow, structural dismantling." He cited the example of postgraduate Urdu, where 136 students applied for 177 sanctioned seats , but only 17 were admitted this year. He links this to a broader shift towards self-financing in universities, arguing languages are "not profit-making subjects."
Impact of CUET and NEP 2020
Teachers assert CUET has worsened the situation. Ahmad stated CUET made admissions "centralised, mechanical, and removed from the classroom." Samrendra Kumar, a former Academic Council member, noted that after CUET, enrolment in language courses has fallen by nearly 50% in the third year.
Munshi Md. Younus, a Bengali teacher, attributed declining enrollment to the absence of physical counseling. "Earlier, students could come physically to colleges, interact with teachers… Now, admissions are completely centralised and online."
The National Education Policy (NEP 2020) and its Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) also face criticism. Ahmad argued the new curriculum "diluted" academic engagement, requiring extensive courses to be taught in limited credits. Kumar warned Indian language departments could "gradually disappear."
Contradiction with National Policies
Academics argue DU’s proposal contradicts the Union government’s stated commitment to promoting Indian languages and culture through initiatives like Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat and the NEP 2020. The NEP explicitly recommends multilingual education and language promotion.
Younus emphasized DU’s constitutional responsibility. "Delhi University is a central university… It has a constitutional responsibility to protect India’s linguistic and cultural diversity."