**”Controversy at DU College as Staff Ordered to Take Bhagavad Gita Course, Teachers Upset Over Extended Hours”**
Recently, Ramanujan College of the University of Delhi has received attention for its requirement that teaching and non-teaching staff take a mandatory certificate and refresher course on the Bhagavad Gita. The directive has sparked dissatisfaction among some teachers who are concerned about the potential promotion of ‘sectarian beliefs’.
**Questionable Directive**
The twenty-day course, which is scheduled to run until January 9, is being offered both online and offline, from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. College principal SP Aggarwal, in an email to the teaching staff, justified the course by explaining that it aligns with the establishment of the Indian Knowledge System Center in the college, emphasizing the need to sensitize the staff through such programs.
**Issues Raised**
However, the directive has raised concerns among the teaching staff, with some expressing discontent over the extended hours and the mandatory nature of the course. The Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), a teachers’ organization, has called for the withdrawal of mandatory registration, alleging that the principal has overstepped his authority by enforcing compulsory registration for and attendance of the refresher course on Bhagavad Gita.
**Call for Withdrawal**
The DTF has labeled the principal’s actions as an abuse of power, stressing that it is unacceptable to coerce teachers and non-teaching staff to remain engaged beyond official duties and to bear the additional burden of conducting ongoing semester examinations. The organization has emphasized the illegality of forcing staff to work beyond their stipulated hours and obligations.
**Controversial Programmes**
The communication also disclosed plans for similar programs not only for the Bhagavad Gita, but also for the Vedas, which are integral components of the Indian knowledge system. This revelation has further fueled the dissatisfaction among the teaching and non-teaching staff, igniting debates about the implications of such mandatory courses on the faculty and the institutional environment as a whole.
The information presented in this article is sourced from Livemint, and it sheds light on the controversy that has arisen at the Ramanujan College of the University of Delhi in relation to the mandated Bhagavad Gita course for the staff.
