Nagpur | 5.5 | Rayat Samachar
(Education) The controversy over the novel change in the ‘Marathi Literature’ syllabus for B.A. Part 2 has finally taken a significant turn, with the Nagpur Bench prioritizing students’ interests and delivering a balanced verdict. As per this ruling, the novel ‘Te Pannash Divas’ by Pawan Bhagat has been retained for the current academic year, and the court has directed that students be given the option to appear for the exam on either ‘Te Pannash Divas’ or ‘Dhag’.
(Education) The Marathi Study Board had included ‘Te Pannash Divas’ in the paper ‘Special Literary Genre: Novel’ for Semester 4 of B.A. Part 2. The novel powerfully portrays the hardships of migrant workers during the COVID era, the reality of their struggle, and the humanity that emerged during the crisis. The primary intent behind its selection was to broaden students’ worldview.
(Education) However, despite the novel not mentioning any individual or political party by name, certain groups stirred controversy by alleging that it criticized a particular leadership. At a meeting of the Academic Council on December 9, 2025, a proposal was put forward to remove the novel from the syllabus. After detailed discussion, the matter was referred back to the Marathi Study Board for reconsideration.
Three months later, on March 9, 2026, a meeting of the Marathi Study Board was held. All members unanimously decided to retain ‘Te Pannash Divas’ in the syllabus. However, at the Academic Council meeting held on April 2, 2026, the matter was discussed again and the novel was removed by a majority vote of 22 against 8.
At the same meeting, the Marathi Study Board was directed to suggest an alternative novel. Accordingly, at an emergency meeting held on April 4, 2026, ‘Dhag’ was proposed as an alternative, and the university issued a notification the same day announcing the change in syllabus.
However, this last-minute change – made just four weeks before the examinations – caused significant confusion among students. Some students subsequently filed a writ petition in the High Court challenging the decision.
Taking serious note of the matter, the court clarified that a 4-credit novel requires 60 hours of teaching spread over 15 weeks as per regulations. Since this time was no longer available, the court ruled in favor of retaining ‘Te Pannash Divas’ for the current semester so that students would not be put at a disadvantage.
The court also clearly directed that students be given question papers based on both ‘Te Pannash Divas’ and ‘Dhag’, with the freedom to answer based on their preference. The university has been ordered to immediately issue a circular to this effect.
According to experts in the field of education, it can be harmful in the long run for students if well-considered decisions made by study boards are overturned by the Academic Council merely on the basis of a majority vote. This case is being cited as a glaring example of that concern.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Marathi Study Board, Prof. Dr. Kashinath Barhate, has expressed his gratitude to all members and professors for the moral support they provided throughout this entire process.
The Nagpur High Court has ruled in a syllabus controversy at a Maharashtra university, ordering that the novel ‘Te Pannash Divas’ be retained for B.A. Part 2 students while also allowing the option to answer on ‘Dhag’. The last-minute change, made just four weeks before exams, had triggered student protests and a writ petition.
