IISc, IIT, ISI Professors Urge UGC to Revise Draft Mathematics

More than 900 mathematicians, researchers, and students have urged the University Grants Commission (UGC) to withdraw its draft undergraduate Mathematics curriculum 2025. The petition, submitted on 18 September 2025, criticised the proposed syllabus for diluting core subjects and including irrelevant courses.

UGC Draft Mathematics Curriculum 2025 Faces Opposition

The signatories include eminent scholars such as M.S. Raghunathan (Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences), Shrikrishna G. Dani (UM-DAE), Rajendra Bhatia (Ashoka University), Sujatha Ramdorai (University of British Columbia), along with faculty members from IISc, IITs, ISI, and TIFR. They described the draft as “riddled with grave defects.”

According to the petition, essential subjects like real analysis, algebra, and linear algebra have been inadequately represented, while outdated topics such as Analytical Geometry and Mechanics occupy significant space. Applied fields including programming, numerical methods, statistics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence have been treated only superficially without adequate practical orientation.

Errors and Inappropriate Electives Highlighted

The petition also pointed out serious errors, including references to non-existent textbooks. Concerns were raised about electives like Mathematics in Music and Mathematics in Meditation, which the petitioners described as unsuitable for undergraduate study. Some electives demand knowledge of Fourier analysis and Markov chains while claiming to require only “Class 10 mathematics,” which the academicians considered unrealistic.

Concerns Over Student Preparedness

The petitioners argued that the flaws carry severe consequences since graduates of the proposed four-year programme would be eligible for NET and Ph.D. admissions. However, the current draft, they said, leaves students unprepared even for M.Sc. level studies or industry-oriented employment. One section of the petition read: “The proposed curriculum does not even prepare a student for an M.Sc., let alone a Ph.D. or a job in industry.”

Call for Revision

The academicians requested the UGC to form a new expert panel and prepare a revised syllabus. They emphasised that “a nation with a long tradition of excellence in mathematics deserves a much better undergraduate curriculum.”