Delhi University admission form sparks outrage for listing 'Muslim' as language category: Report
New Delhi: Delhi University has come under scrutiny after its undergraduate admission form reportedly listed "Muslim" as an option under the “Mother Tongue” category.
“Muslim” appeared as a supposed language among the listed language options—an inaccurate categorisation that has left many baffled, as reported by The New Indian Express on Friday.
What further intensified criticism was the absence of Urdu from the list despite it being one of the 22 officially recognised languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and widely spoken across North India, especially among Muslim communities.
“This is not just a clerical error. It reflects a deep-rooted communal mindset that reduces an entire community to a religious label, stripping away linguistic, cultural and regional identities. Muslim is not a language. Muslims speak the same languages as others in their regions, be it Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, or Urdu,” TNIE quoted Abha Dev Habib, Democratic Teachers' Front (DTF) general secretary, as saying.
“It is unfortunate that a premier university like Delhi University is making such mistakes. These should be rectified immediately,” said Dr Mithuraaj Dhusiya, a member of the Executive Council, adding that diversity and multilingualism need to be acknowledged and respected.
Screenshots of the form went viral across social media platforms, with students and teachers calling for an official apology and immediate correction.
Many DU professors described the omission of Urdu, and the inclusion of “Muslim” as a language, as not merely a linguistic oversight but a politically charged act.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
