Why academic experts are up in arms over UGC’s new curriculum draft

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has released a draft Learning Outcomes-based Curriculum Framework (LOCF) for nine undergraduate subjects, drawing sharp criticism from sections of the academic community and student groups, who claim the framework promotes “saffronisation” and undermines scientific research in higher education.

Kala Ganpana (traditional Indian timekeeping), Bharatiya Bijganit (Indian algebra), the significance of Puranas in Indian tradition, focus on the mathematical concepts and techniques related to basic arithmetic operations and geometry found in the Narada Puran are among the concepts that UGC wants undergraduate students to study in mathematics.

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According to the draft curriculum, which is aligned with the LOCF under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the UGC has recommended teaching the history and development of Bharatiya Bijaganita, division of polynomials using the Paravartya Yojayet Sutra (a traditional Vedic Mathematics technique meaning ‘transpose and apply’).

The curriculum also includes teaching of concepts such as Panchanga (Indian calendar) and how it determines mahurtas (auspicious time) used in rituals and festivals.

Controversial curriculum

One of the most debated aspects of the chemistry curriculum is its opening invocation to Goddess Saraswati and proposed modules on Ayurveda, Siddha, and homeopathy. Students are also expected to learn the preparation of traditional medicines and understand the therapeutic uses of milk, water, and honey.

The draft mathematics curriculum incorporates India’s ancient knowledge systems, covering topics such as Kala Ganana (traditional timekeeping), Sutra-based arithmetic, and geometry from the Shulba Sutras. It also draws on texts like the Surya Siddhanta and Aryabhatiyam, explores cosmic cycles including Yugas, Kalpas, and Brahma’s day, and examines the Panchanga (Hindu calendar), auspicious timings, and traditional Indian observatories.

The curriculum also highlights India’s contributions to mathematics through figures like Aryabhata, Ramanujan, and Kaprekar.

In commerce, the draft proposes including Kautilya’s Arthashastra, lessons on leadership from the Bhagavad Gita, and modules on Bharat Bodh, Viksit Bharat, and India’s knowledge traditions.

Distorting history?

Meanwhile, the history curriculum recommends VD Savarkar’s The Indian War of Independence for courses on the freedom struggle, a move that has sparked strong criticism. Critics contend that relying on Savarkar’s work could distort narratives about India’s independence movement.

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“Universities are increasingly becoming arenas of ideological contest, with the BJP seeking to promote its own heroes and reinterpret historical events in the curriculum to challenge the nation’s secular and patriotic narrative. Unlike the extensive consultative process that brought figures like Ambedkar into academic syllabi, these changes appear to be agenda-driven, aimed at legitimising and establishing Hindutva ideologues as national icons,” Harish S Wankhede, assistant professor at Centre for Political Studies in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), told Hindustan Times.

Echoing similar concerns, Rajesh Jha, a professor at Delhi University’s Rajdhani College, said, “Currently, teachers no longer have the right to design subject syllabi, which are being imposed by the UGC. Syllabi should not be used for narrative-building.”

SFI opposes UGC draft

Calling the recently released draft LOCF for nine subjects “primitive and unscientific,” the Left-leaning Students’ Federation of India (SFI) announced it would stage protest marches to the UGC’s offices and regional centres across the country on Wednesday (August 27).

Students associated with them would burn the LOCF draft on campuses in central and state university centres on Monday and Tuesday, SFI leaders Adarsh M Saji and Srijan Bhattacharyya said in a statement in New Delhi on Saturday (August 23).

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“The LOCF on chemistry starts with a salutation to Saraswati, while the commerce curriculum suggests colleges to teach Kautilya’s Arthashastra. VD Savarkar’s The Indian War of Independence has found a place in the reading list for the course on the Indian Struggle for Independence. This is an attempt to push the RSS agenda through education,” the SFI’s statement said.

“As per Article 51A(h) of the Constitution, it is a fundamental duty of citizens to develop a scientific temper, humanism, and the spirit of inquiry and reform. This attempt by the UGC is intended to intensify saffronisation and propagate an unscientific temper in higher education,” the SFI said.

Regarding the inclusion of Savarkar’s book in the curriculum on the freedom movement, the SFI said the move aimed to mislead students about the true history of India’s struggle for independence. “The students and youth of this country do not need to study the history of the freedom struggle from books written by those who betrayed the freedom struggle,” the statement added.

The draft LOCF is currently open for public feedback until September 20.