Delhi University’s 2025-26 Academic Calendar Slammed as ‘Chaotic’ and ‘Unrealistic’ Disaster

New Schedule’s January 2 Start and 4-5 Day Semester Break Spark Outrage Among Faculty and Students

The University of Delhi’s recently announced academic calendar for the 2025-26 session has sparked significant backlash from the academic community, with critics labeling it as poorly planned and detrimental to students and faculty.

The notification, issued on July 4, 2025, outlines the revised schedule for undergraduate and postgraduate programs, with classes set to commence on August 1, 2025, and the even semester beginning January 2, 2026, after a mere 4-5 day break.

Rudrashish Chakraborty, a member of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) Executive, has raised serious concerns about the calendar’s feasibility and its impact on the teaching-learning process.

In a statement shared on social media, Chakraborty criticized the calendar as an “afterthought” that reflects a “poor application of mind.” Key issues highlighted include: Loss of Autonomy: The calendar’s release after the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) results suggests that Delhi University has ceded control over its academic scheduling, aligning with external pressures rather than institutional needs.

Hasty Implementation: The decision to start all semesters on the same date, reportedly due to demands from the teaching community, has been executed in a rushed manner, resulting in an “imbalanced” and “lop-sided” schedule.

Inadequate Semester Break: The 4-5 day gap between the odd and even semesters eliminates the traditional vacation period during Christmas and New Year, leaving students and faculty with little time for rest or preparation.

Logistical Challenges: Starting the even semester on January 2, 2026, is deemed impractical as many end-semester exams extend into early January. Colleges, already strained by limited infrastructure, will struggle to conduct both exams and classes simultaneously, potentially forcing a shift to online teaching.

Impact of Weather: The early January start coincides with Delhi’s peak cold wave and fog, which often disrupts travel due to train and flight cancellations, potentially preventing students from returning to campus on time.

Insufficient Preparation Time: A minimum two-week gap between semesters is essential for students and faculty to prepare, evaluate exam scripts, and finalize timetables. The current schedule risks overlapping teaching and evaluation duties, undermining academic quality.

Violation of UGC Regulations: The calendar allegedly disregards University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines on mandatory vacation periods, denying teachers and students adequate downtime, which could compromise classroom quality.

Uncompensated Workload: Faculty have not been compensated for working through vacation periods since 2022, when the staggered academic calendar was introduced due to CUET-related disruptions. The new schedule exacerbates this issue.

Chakraborty has urged the university administration to revise the calendar, proposing a two-week gap between semesters and delaying the even semester’s start to at least January 10, 2026. He argues that this adjustment would streamline the teaching-learning process without significantly disrupting the academic timeline. Additionally, he called for a mechanism to compensate teachers for working through vacation periods in recent years.

The criticism comes amidst broader discussions about Delhi University’s academic policies, with stakeholders emphasizing the need for a more balanced and practical approach to scheduling. The university has yet to respond officially to these concerns.