Delhi University’s Geography department dept rejects semester system

A general body meeting (GBM) of teachers from Delhi University’s Geography department rejected the semester system on Tuesday. The move comes ahead of Wednesday’s Faculty of Social Sciences meeting,where the revised syllabus of the BA (Hons) Geography course was to be placed for approval.

Of the 50 teachers who voted at the Geography GBM,44 opposed semesterisation. Teachers expressed concern at the reduction of contact hours that semesterisation will bring about. “In the annual mode,teachers and students meet for about 1900 hours over three years while teaching for 14 Geography papers. However,the semester system will allow only for 1100 contact hours,” said a teacher.

When the Social Sciences faculty meets on Wednesday,it is expected to approve the syllabus of social work,which was passed by the department’s Committee of Courses on Tuesday. At the same time,the fate of semesterisation in Sociology,History and,now,Geography is unknown as teachers have rejected the semester system.

Sources said the Economics department has already prepared a draft syllabus without convening even a meeting of the Committee of Courses. It is not yet known whether the syllabus of BA (Hons) Political Science will be placed before the faculty for approval. A general body of Political Science teachers had expressed their approval for the semester system.