In a bid to expand its course curriculum and provide a wide range of choices to students, the Delhi University is scheduled to introduce Vedic Literature, Upanishad Parichaya, Dharma and Religion among the options at Delhi University's Centre for Hindu Studies which shall be offered to its students as minor electives.

Sources said the department has proposed to introduce six new elective papers for students, who wish to specialise in Hindu Studies and awaits their approval from the Academic Council of the university. A meeting of the Academic Council of Delhi University is slated for July 12. These additions are based on the recommendations of the Governing Body of the Centre for Hindu Studies.

The Bhagavad Gita for Humanity elective will acquaint students with foundational Indian spirituality as depicted in the Bhagavad Gita, and the Purana Parichaya paper will cover Hindu history, culture, geography, architecture and other knowledge systems.

The Centre also plans to introduce two general electives for students who are not majoring in Hindu Studies but have chosen Commerce, Political Science or Computer Science as their main subjects. These students will be offered papers on Hindu Jivana Drishti and Manovijnana to familiarise them with Hindu studies.

In addition to the UGC-approved syllabus, the Centre for Hindu Studies now plans to introduce more choices for students by offering papers on various aspects of Hinduism, said an official. These will also include papers on Bhagavad Gita for Humanity, Hindu Thinkers and Purana Parichaya.

The students who don't wish to study Commerce, Political Science or Computer Science as minor electives along with the major subject can avail these choices. "We have proposed these electives to make our course curriculum more comprehensive and aligned with students' needs. As a relatively new establishment, our effort is to make our programmes well-rounded," the official said.

Under Introduction to Vedic Literature, students will learn about the literary works of prominent Vedic and Upanishadic commentators, from the Rigveda to Vedangas.

The elective paper on Upanishad Parichaya will introduce foundational Hindutva as analysed in the Upanishads.

"The Hindu Thinkers paper aims to familiarise students with the prominent thoughts of distinguished Hindu thinkers from ancient and modern times. Furthermore, the Dharma and Religion paper will introduce and develop foundational concepts of Hindu Adhyatma and Dharma, comparing them with Western religious traditions," reads the learning objective of the proposed electives.

Additionally, the Centre plans to offer six new interdisciplinary electives specifically for Political Science students.