The New Compass: Guiding English Studies through Emergent Humanities

Abstract

As English Studies in India navigates the pressures of employability, digital transformation, and ecological urgency, there is an increasing need to reimagine its disciplinary scope through the lens of emergent humanities—including environmental, digital, medical, and energy humanities. This study investigates the extent to which Indian universities are incorporating these new directions into their English curricula and explores faculty attitudes, institutional constraints, and student responses to such integration. Using a mixed qualitative methodology involving curriculum review, semi-structured faculty interviews, and policy analysis, the research reveals a significant disconnect between national policy aspirations, as seen in NEP 2020, and actual curricular practice. While faculty show enthusiasm for interdisciplinary innovation and students express a strong desire for relevance and future-oriented learning, structural rigidity, outdated syllabi, and a lack of institutional support continue to hinder reform. The study argues for a new curricular compass that aligns English Studies with global challenges and civic engagement, urging policymakers, academic councils, and departments to embrace transdisciplinary designs that prepare graduates not only for employment but for ethically grounded, socially responsive futures.