A series of emails from college Principal S.P. Aggarwal urged the staff to register, leading to concerns among some teachers.
Mohammad Alamullah | Clarion India
NEW DELHI — A debate has started at Ramanujan College, a constituent of Delhi University’s South Campus, as the administration recently mandated a 20-day certificate course on the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita. The decision has sparked criticism from some academic and other staff who argue that the course is being unfairly enforced.
But, College Principal S.P. Aggarwal maintains that the Bhagavad Gita course was not mandatory for the staff but rather an appeal to the teaching community. Aggarwal highlighted the course’s relevance in the modern education system and explained that the initiative aimed to sensitise both staff and students to its contents.
“We launched a learning centre in our college on the college foundation day…Training and sensitisation of teachers to the Indian knowledge system, applicable in modern education system was an important theme of the course…This course was not compulsory for every staff member. It was just an appeal to the teaching community,” the principal was quoted by media reports as saying.
However, the move has drawn a swift criticism from the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), a left-leaning outfit, which demanded the withdrawal of the “mandatory registration and attendance for the Bhagavad Gita refresher course.”
The teachers accused Principal Aggarwal of abusing his powers and coercing staff into attending the course.
“A refresher/certificate course on Srimad Bhagavad Gita is being made compulsory, illegally coercing teachers and non-teaching staff to remain engaged till 6.30 p.m. beyond official duties. This is unacceptable,” Press Trust of India cited a DTF press release as saying.
The refresher certificate course, scheduled between December 22 and January 10, requires participants to pay Rs 950 and attend daily sessions from 4.30 to 6.30 pm. A series of emails from Principal Aggarwal urged the staff to register, leading to concerns among some teachers.
“We have not had any such religious course before. I’m attending since we were told it’s compulsory. We were asked to attend it on Sunday and Christmas as well. Teachers complete exam duty and then attend this. The Indian Knowledge System is not just about Hinduism,” a teacher said requesting anonymity.
Responding to allegations, Aggarwal stated, “There is a choice, but we were requesting they attend it because it is related to the National Education Policy. The course is open to all. It is a highly relevant (course)… it is an academic offshoot, not a sermon. We are talking about relevance in today’s context. Not more than 30% of teachers are attending.”
Jigar Champaklal Inamdar, chairman of the college’s governing board, maintained that the course was optional. “We have encouraged teachers to attend it, however, it is okay if they do not attend it,” he was quoted as saying.
The controversy deepened as some teachers alleged receiving an email on December 22, indicating that 37 teachers had not registered for the course. This led to further concerns about the course’s optional status.
The Democratic Teachers’ Front condemned the move, stating, “Making it mandatory and holding participants captive suggests propagation of uncritical thinking and sectarian beliefs.”
As the debate continues, questions loom over implications of compulsory courses with religious undertones and their alignment with educational policies.
