DU students have taken to the streets of Delhi University’s North and South Campuses in protest following the eleventh-hour, last-minute switch in the mode of evaluation for the “Research Methodology” paper in the English Honours course. The English Department’s decision to abandon a research-based evaluation model in favour of a conventional written examination has outraged students, teachers, and student unions alike, setting the stage for sit-ins and social media rage.
On May 24, weeks before the semester ends, the English Department at DU made an announcement that the assessment for the Research Methodology course would no longer be on a 1,500-word research proposal and a 2,500-word research paper as had been announced. Instead, a 90-mark, offline written test is now planned to be held on June 21. The course was meant to simulate an academic research setting and had been operating in the research-based evaluation scheme since the start of the semester. This abrupt change, students say, negates their months of academic labor and has them in a state of panic.
DU students say months of effort went in vain
A number of students from prominent DU colleges like Miranda House, Hindu College, and Lady Shri Ram College have stated they were never briefed on any likelihood of a written test. Rather, they assert, their teachers took them through weeks of topic choice, literature review, and writing timelines based on the research paper assessment model. With only four weeks remaining in the semester and most having done or almost done their research papers, this modification has left hundreds of students feeling taken aback.
Aditi Sharma, a final-year English Honours student from Miranda House, said, “We’ve been working since February on these projects. We’ve had consultations, weekly submissions, and drafts analyzed. And now, all of that is being trashed. We feel deceived.”
A Hindu College student added, “I was set to return home in early June since my last assignments were almost complete. But now I am forced to stay back and study for an exam which was never planned. It’s stressful and utterly unfair.”
DU: Why alter the assessment procedure after months of academic work?
This query is now at the forefront of the escalating student protest. Why did DU wait until late May to notify students of a change in evaluation that rewrites the foundation of their final mark in a required paper?
DU officials have stood their ground that the last decision was taken at the department level and that students would be allowed a choice between two exam dates — June 21 or December — to facilitate those who cannot appear in June. But students feel that this only delays the issue for many and still does not respond to the injustice of the change itself.
The problem is not the date. It is that we were assessed for months in one system, and now, in the eleventh hour, we’re being asked to sit for an exam which has never been communicated to us. This goes against all principles of academic transparency,” a student from Lady Shri Ram College said.
The non-communication from both the administration and the department is also a major reason for the rage. Students claim they did not get any official word about the change through the student portal or email and only heard about it after certain professors shared a circular on WhatsApp.
SFI and other student bodies rally behind affected students
Student unions have soon jumped into the fray, providing both morale and organisational strength to the movement. The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) organised a protest on May 25 at the Dean of Examinations office seeking a rollback of the new assessment scheme in full.
SFI’s Delhi Vice-President Noel expressed solidarity with the affected students and slammed the administration’s “authoritarian” decision-making. “This isn’t just about English Honours students,” he said. “This is a warning sign of how arbitrary and non-transparent decisions can derail students’ lives in DU. We will not tolerate such academic injustice.”
All India Students’ Association (AISA) also released a statement denouncing the move and demanding reversal of the decision immediately, along with reinstatement of the original research-based assessment.
DU administration mum
In spite of increasing student agitations, the DU administration till now has not issued an official clarification. Phone calls and emails to top officials of the English Department and the Examination Branch have reportedly remained unanswered. Faculty members also remain split. Some are in favor of the demands of the students, while others contend that the department is facing coercion due to UGC-mandated exam guidelines.
A single professor, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed that the department had in fact signed up to a model based on research in behind-closed-doors discussions, and that many instructors are currently “embarrassed” by the eleventh-hour change.
Students worry about future study plans
Several final-year students, particularly those intending to pursue postgraduate degrees in India or overseas, are concerned that the delay of the exam may impact their applications, internships, and travel schedules. Others have expressed that the Research Methodology paper was intended to teach them research writing skills, and substituting it with a theory examination negates the purpose of the course.
“Such a course was meant to replicate real academic research. Substituting it with a memory-based assignment negates the entire learning outcome,” argued Kavya, a third-year student.
Students also raised concerns regarding accommodation and extra expenses owing to longer stays in Delhi or coming back for the December examination.
What happens next?
With rising pressure from students and unions, DU might be compelled to reconsider the move. Protesters have warned that if the department does not reinstate the original research-based mode of evaluation within a week, they will escalate their agitation. Students are gearing up for a mass petition and social media campaign to mobilize public support and put pressure on the administration.
The event has once again raised the issue of academic uniformity, student input, and administrative openness within one of India’s most renowned universities.
DU students remain unbending in their demand: respect their work, uphold the evaluation plan they were assured, and introduce accountability into policy decisions that impact their futures.
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