It seems that your call with your best friend is going to reduce, because Delhi University (DU) has started a course that will cover everything from understanding love and friendship to seeing red flag and making a healthy bond.

It could not come at a better time, as more and more teenagers weaken due to social media exposure and struggle to separate the right from the wrong. They also struggle to understand basic feelings like love and anger (as shown Adolescent,

Starting from 2025–26 academic session, DU’s Psychology Department is offering a new elective title of ‘intimate relationships’ as part of a comprehensive initiative, including new courses such as media psychology and psychology of adjustment.

There are lots of hulablu around the need to bring such subjects into the syllabus, and in the end, someone is listening. Needless to say, the declaration has created a lot of anticipation, and, of course, a big question that everyone is asking: is it really going to make a difference?

Today India Talked to understand Bhavna by talking to experts with a relationship with parents.

A new breed of emotionally conscious lovers

With the onset of a course that helps students to understand relationships and its intricacies better, will we be able to welcome a new breed of emotionally conscious lovers/partners?

The Delhi-based relationship expert, Ruchi Ruh, probably feels. “Young adults are navigating an incredibly complex emotional landscape today. This course can give something that can help them navigate this complexity, such as long distance relationships, conditions, digital intimacy, complex relations, dynamics and even dating apps.

This method destroys conflict and underlines “disagreement” as the practice of solving the problem. Relationships can hing on reflector jernling that motivates teachers to chart their attachment patterns, triggers and strength. Regular self-assessment establishes self-awareness, an essential condition for a healthy relationship.

The founder of the Gateway of Healing and the founder of the coach, a famous relationship, Dr. Moonlight Tuganite also agrees. He is of the opinion that this course can help re -define “disagreement” as a practice of reducing conflict and solving the problem.

Knowledge vs living experience

Of course, love is not a formula, and emotional intelligence is not taught through chalkboard equations. Then, how do we see this difference?

Ruchi explains, “Relationships are about doing so, how we answer life, modeling with carers and previous experiences.” “But such a course can help students to process their experiences more consciously.”

She compares it to learn about nutrition: “Just because you study does not mean you will fit, but it makes you aware. Similarly, relationship education will not prevent heartbreak, but it can teach boundaries, sympathy and awareness.”

More than just love

In a society where sex education is still forbidden, will this course be able to make a difference? It can make a dent at least one, both experts believe. While the course title includes “relationship”, it is not just about dating. It is about consent. Communications. To respect. And perhaps most important, emotional security.

While all doubts you hear about sex education, they cannot be completely rejected, this initiative can be a very important.

“It can help normalize the discussion about consent, emotional boundaries, and digital intimacy, which is making a phase for subjects that are otherwise sidelined otherwise.” Role-Natak and landscape analysis can demolish consent and communication, students can offer solid language and techniques before facing real situations, “Dr. Tuganit believes.

However, she also expresses her apprehension. “If the course stops at the basic consent model and attachment-style overview, it only takes the risk of scratching the surface. True Bridge-Building requires sexual health, bliss, strength dynamics, and clear exploration of cultural stigma, which involves left out areas only.

Is it better?

Another very much-acting aspect of this syllabus has been time. Many people are of the opinion that introducing something like this first, in school, in fact, when the child is developing and receptive mode. Experts are also no different.

“By high school, most of the youth are already navigating crush, heartbreaks, peer pressure and even toxic dynamics, most often in silence. Relationships can help to create adolescence regulation, understand consent, respect boundaries, and explore harmful patterns in relationships.

Dr. Tuganit broke the professionals to introduce such topics in the syllabus:

• Early Emotional Literacy Development: Relationship in high school, the introduction of education, helps students shake acute emotions before creating emotional vocabulary and self-awareness.
• Consent and Seema Skills: Teenagers often lack consent and clear guidance on individual boundaries. A structured course can teach them to identify oral and non-verbal signals, interact at rest levels and respect the limits of others.
• Digital relationship navigation: Texting, teenager’s first romantic experiences through social media or dating apps are often online. Therefore, importance.
• Prevention of toxic pattern: Initial contact with concepts such as power imbalance, emotional manipulation and healthy conflict resolutions helps students to see red flags in real time.

Parents talk

**Mister. Arjun Tiwari’s daughter’s studies in class 11 in a prestigious Delhi School. Asked what he thinks about DU’s new initiative, he said, “This is a good initiative. There are things that we cannot always talk to with our children, and there is a constant fear about whether they are on the right path. I hope that it is done properly, so students really take away the understanding when they need modern relationships.”

** Surabhi Mathur’s son only graduated, and he feels that it should have come long ago. “I would be really happy if my son had an opportunity to be in college. It’s a welcome change, but let’s not expect too much soon.”

** Note: (Name changed)