Delhi University (DU) is facing mounting criticism after simultaneously promoting a seminar on indigenous cows and cancelling more traditional academic talks. At Lakshmibai College (an affiliated college), a two-day event titled “Swadeshi Cow: Bio-Economy & Sustainable Development” was held, celebrating cows as agents of ecological and economic change. Meanwhile, faculty at DU’s core departments say a planned seminar on “Land, Property and Democratic Rights” at the Delhi School of Economics was abruptly cancelled without explanation - raising concerns over academic freedom. 

Critics argue that such contrasting actions - elevating ideologically-driven initiatives while sidelining independent scholarship - reflect a shift in institutional priorities. One senior faculty member told ThePrint that the university “is increasingly being used to push a right-wing narrative”.  The university administration, on its part, maintains there is no ideological agenda, pointing out that events like the cow-economy summit aim at sustainability and rural development. But for students and scholars, the selective endorsement of topics threatens the plural and critical space expected of a major academic institution. The debate now centres on whether “what gets talked about” is being chosen by academic merit, or by ideological alignment.