Dept of philosophy struggles with limited faculty, lack of recognition

Jaipur: The department of philosophy at the University of Rajasthan, known for offering courses like MA in Philosophy, BA in Philosophy, and Ph.D., is facing challenges due to a shortage of faculty and a lack of recognition. Despite the importance of philosophy in various fields, including competitive exams and law, the department has been neglected, hindering its growth and potential.
Professor Arvind Vikram Singh, head of the department said, “The new National Education Policy (NEP) promotes traditional subjects, but students only take admission in philosophy when they do not get selected for any other course. Only around 20% of the students pursue philosophy out of genuine interest.”

With an annual intake of 60 seats each for the MA and BA programs, the department struggles to fill all the seats, despite a consistent enrollment rate of 55 to 60 students.
“The faculty is very limited, consisting of only one professor and four assistant professors. The workload for all the courses is overwhelming due to the shortage of faculty. Moreover, retired faculty members show little interest in teaching philosophy as they perceive it as lacking in respect," added the HOD.
The department has been striving to introduce innovative courses to address contemporary issues. Officials said that they are trying to design a course for philosophical counseling to tackle the increase in suicidal cases, frustration, and stress among students.
“Our plan was to spread awareness through speeches given by saints. However, the university's lack of attention towards the Department of Philosophy has hindered our progress,” said a senior official, adding that professors from other disciplines teach philosophy-related papers in subjects like law. “Institutions don’t appoint philosophy professors to teach these subjects. If the government pays attention, there is immense scope for philosophy to contribute significantly,” added Singh.