DU faces criticism over lack of practical and skills-based learning despite policy reforms

New Delhi: Delhi University (DU), long regarded as one of India’s most prestigious public universities, is increasingly being criticised for its limited emphasis on practical and skills-based learning. Students and teachers alike point to a widening gap between classroom teaching and the demands of the professional world, raising concerns about graduate preparedness and employability.

Across colleges and disciplines, students say that academic programmes remain overwhelmingly theory-driven. While syllabus mention projects, presentations and internships, these components often exist only on paper. A final-year student from the Arts faculty noted that subjects meant to build communication and analytical skills are still taught through conventional lectures and written examinations, offering little scope for real-world application. And the real world connectivity is actually lacking behind Large class sizes further restrict interaction, making experiential learning difficult to implement in practice.

Science students echo similar concerns. Laboratory sessions, they argue, are frequently rushed due to time constraints and outdated equipment, reducing experiments to procedural exercises rather than opportunities for innovation and problem-solving. “We memorise experiments for exams instead of understanding how they apply outside the lab,” said a second-year student from a North Campus college.

Teachers acknowledge that the problem is structural rather than individual. Faculty members say that while recent reforms under the National Education Policy (NEP) emphasise skill enhancement, universities have not been given adequate infrastructure, training or clarity to execute these changes effectively. Value-added and skill-enhancement courses, introduced with the aim of improving employability, often lack defined practical frameworks. As a result, teachers are forced to rely on lectures even for courses designed to be hands-on.

The introduction of a four-year undergraduate programme and internship-linked credits was expected to bridge the theory-practice divide. However, many educators believe these initiatives need stronger institutional support and industry collaboration to succeed. Without partnerships with workplaces, NGOs and research institutions, internships risk becoming tokenistic rather than transformative.

Education experts warn that this disconnect has serious consequences. Employers increasingly look for graduates with problem-solving abilities, digital literacy and adaptability skills that cannot be developed through rote learning alone. When universities fail to nurture these competencies, students are left to seek costly external courses or learn on the job.

To retain academic standing, Delhi University must move beyond paper reforms and invest in experiential learning, including smaller classes, labs, field projects and sustained industry engagement, so graduates leave with practical skills for a changing world.