DU calls ‘Muslim’ as language a clerical error after outrage over Urdu omission
New Delhi: Delhi University on Saturday clarified that the listing of “Muslim” as a ‘mother tongue’ and the omission of Urdu from its undergraduate admission form was a “clerical error”, after the move triggered widespread criticism from academics and civil society.
In a statement, the university said, “The University of Delhi sincerely regrets the inadvertent error in its admission form. We acknowledge your concerns and are committed to addressing them. However, attributing ulterior motives to this entirely unintentional oversight is unwarranted. We request all not to vitiate the University’s diverse and harmonious environment.”
The clarification came after screenshots of the application portal began circulating online, showing “Muslim” in the list of languages under the ‘mother tongue’ section, while Urdu — a constitutionally recognised language under the Eighth Schedule — was missing.
The university’s admission portal was briefly taken down and restored later. While DU has not yet released a detailed explanation on how the error occurred, officials claimed that the form has since been corrected and Urdu reinstated.
However, the issue has sparked strong academic and political pushback, with several teachers’ groups calling it more than just a technical oversight.
“This is not an innocent mistake,” said Abha Dev Habib, former member of DU’s Executive Council. “The error reflects deep-seated biases — conflating religion with language is not just ignorant, it’s communal.”
Faculty members across departments echoed concerns that the incident reflects a “slippage in institutional integrity”. Dr Mithuraaj Dhusiya, a member of DU’s Executive Council, said, “Mistakes like these damage the university’s inclusive image. Urdu is not just a language — it is an essential part of India’s cultural and literary legacy.”
The issue has also prompted a wider discussion about linguistic representation in higher education institutions. Rudrashish Chakraborty, a professor at Kirori Mal College, said, “The portrayal of ‘Muslim’ as a language suggests a worrying attempt to misrepresent India’s largest minority community. Urdu is a secular language spoken by people of all faiths.”
Teachers also questioned the language used in the form itself. “The term ‘mother tongue’ is colloquial. Academic institutions should instead be using ‘native language’ or ‘first language’ for clarity,” said a professor from DU’s English department.
