New Delhi, 11 June 2025 — In a groundbreaking move, Delhi University (DU) is rolling out an elective course titled “Negotiating Intimate Relationships” in the upcoming 2025–26 academic year.
This initiative, offered by the Department of Psychology, aims to equip Gen Z students with the tools to navigate romantic relationships, friendships, heartbreak, and emotional challenges in the age of Tinder, Instagram, and pervasive social media.
Why Now?
DU’s decision comes in response to rising concerns over emotional mismanagement among young adults. In the span of a few weeks this past May and June, Delhi witnessed three violent incidents involving young partners: a 21‑year‑old woman strangled, a 19‑year‑old stabbed, and an 18‑year‑old set aflame—all in allegedly intimate partner-related episodes. In February 2022, the shocking dismemberment case of Shraddha Walkar underscored the dangers of unchecked intimacy and mental health issues.
Psychologists view this curriculum as proactive intervention. A faculty member expressed: “If we want to prevent emotional harm, we will have to start having honest conversations early”. The course seeks to fill a gap in formal education by focusing on emotional literacy, boundary-setting, and recognizing unhealthy dynamics.
Structure & Content of the Course
A four-credit general elective, it includes three lectures and one tutorial per week, available to all undergraduates across disciplines. The syllabus is divided into four thematic units:
- The Psychology of Friendships and Intimate Relationships
Understanding how friendships form, evolve into intimate ties, and influence romantic connections. - Understanding Love and Sexuality
Exploring theories such as Sternberg’s triangle of love and two-factor theory, along with discussions on sexuality and emotional compatibility. - Signs of Relationships Going Sour
Identifying red flags—jealousy, obsessive behaviors, digital monitoring, and early signs of toxic dynamics like breakups and violence. - Flourishing Relationships
Promoting healthy communication, emotional support practices, self‑awareness, and forgiveness strategies to sustain positive partnerships .
Innovative Pedagogy & Real-World Analysis
Beyond traditional lectures, the course includes interactive tutorials, case studies, social-media network analysis, and role-playing sessions. Students will review relationship narratives in popular culture, including films like Kabir Singh—to examine depictions of violence and toxic romance—and Titanic, as an example of idealized love.
Latika Gupta, a key faculty member, noted that mainstream films often normalize unhealthy behaviors. Classroom discussions are expected to deconstruct these narratives and encourage critical thinking
Emotional Intelligence Meets Academic Rigor
The course aims to address issues beyond romance: communication skills, emotional boundary-setting, grief from rejection, and psycho‑social resilience. By embedding emotional intelligence within academic frameworks, DU hopes to foster mature interpersonal skills among students.
Dr. Gupta emphasized, “No one teaches how to handle rejection or set boundaries. If we learn this early, some tragedies wouldn’t happen”
Broader Context in DU’s Curricular Reforms
This move aligns with DU’s larger push to integrate life-skill and well-being courses following the National Education Policy 2020. The university previously introduced electives like the “Science of Happiness” in women’s colleges, developed with the Rekhi Foundation to improve students’ mental health , and offered emotional-intelligence and well-being modules across disciplines since 2022 .
However, the current relationships course broke fresh ground in addressing specifically romantic and intimate aspects—areas previously lacking curricular attention.
Early Reactions & Future Outlook
The academic community has largely welcomed the initiative, considering its timeliness and relevance. Experts argue that preventive emotional education can reduce incidents of partner violence and foster healthier relationship patterns. Whether the subject sparks broader debate over university boundaries or cultural sensitivities remains to be seen—echoing past discussions about DU’s syllabus revisions in other social contexts .
Scheduled to begin next semester, the course could set a precedent among Indian universities for addressing psychological well‑being and intimate relationships through structured education.
In sum, by launching “Negotiating Intimate Relationships,” Delhi University is taking a progressive step towards recognizing that romantic literacy is not just desirable—but essential—for students navigating a complex emotional world. Whether this becomes a model for wider adoption remains to be seen, but it marks a clear shift towards blending academic learning with real-life emotional competence.
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