Delhi University has come under fire after a communal error in its undergraduate admission portal sparked outrage. Launched on June 20, the portal listed “Muslim” as an option under the “Mother Tongue” category, while omitting Urdu—an officially recognised language under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
The error was first flagged by Abha Dev Habib, secretary of the Democratic Teachers’ Front, who called it a reflection of a “communal mindset.”
“How can a central university confuse a religion with a language? It reflects deep-rooted bias,” Habib said in a statement.
The exclusion of Urdu, which is spoken by millions in India, particularly among Muslim communities, has been viewed by academics as a deliberate erasure of cultural heritage.
“This is an insult to Urdu literature and to the syncretic culture that Delhi University once stood for,” said Rudrashish Chakraborty, associate professor of English and member of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA).
He added, “By suggesting that ‘Muslim’ is a language, and simultaneously erasing Urdu, the university administration is reinforcing communal stereotypes and othering the country’s largest minority.”
As of now, Delhi University has not issued any official clarification or apology. The error remains visible on the portal, even as criticism mounts from students, faculty, and civil society groups.
