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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4 workers die after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad
Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.
The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.
The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.
They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.
Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.
