Zee Media Bureau/Ritesh K Srivastava
New Delhi: Apparently under pressure from several quarters, the Delhi University (DU) on Friday agreed to comply with the University Grants Commission`s order to scrap its Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP).
According to reports, the DU has written a fresh letter to the UGC informing it that the varsity is ready to scrap the FYUP and begin admissions for 3-year programme “very soon”.
DU Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh also issued a statement that read, “Admission process to undergraduate programme to be conducted under scheme of courses that were in force in academic session 2012-13.”
“We will follow University Grants Commission directives on FYUP and admissions will start soon,” it further said. He also said that it was of paramount importance to protect the students by starting the admission process.
The admission process shall consequently be conducted under scheme of courses that were in force in academic session 2012-13, according to the VC.
"We have replied to UGC, onus is on them to respond now," a senior Delhi University official also said. Some reports quoting DU sources said the admissions to 3-year courses will most likely start from Monday.
The statement came after principals of various colleges affiliated to the DU met to decide the future course of action.
Reacting to the development, Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani said, “I respect the autonomy of institutions. However, I`m reminded that autonomous institutions were created to serve the people of the nation. My appeal is this, that within the ambit of the law, this is the time for statesmanship which will lead to a resolution. One should not sacrifice the interest of our students at the altar of prestige."
As confusion prevailed, several DU students began an indefinite hunger strike this morning demanding the resignation of DU Vice Chancellor and an immediate rollback of the FYUP.
Dhruv Sangwan, South Campus President from Indian National Students` Organization ( INSO ), said, "The admissions are not happening because of the DU VC`s dictatorship. Even the FYUP was started because of the VC`s authoritarianism. We want the three year course back and Dinesh Singh`s immediate resignation."
The UGC today rejected a proposal sent by the Delhi University and directed it to start the admission process from today itself. The UGC directed the DU to revert to the three-year format and begin the admission process without any delay from today.
Also Read:DU students demand President`s intervention in FYUP issue
The response from the UGC came a day after the Delhi University sent a fresh proposal to it to restore the three-year undergraduate course, with a few amendments in the controversial four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP).
As the ongoing faceoff between the UGC and DU continued, a delegation of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) - the students wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) - called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is known to have expressed unhappiness over the deadlock between the two bodies.
With no clarity on the rollback of the FYUP, various student groups continued their agitation yesterday, some students were also detained as they wanted to meet President Pranab Mukherjee, who is the visitor of the university.
Replying to the letter sent by UGC on Wednesday night, DU yesterday sent a "blended proposal" in which it suggested to the commission that it would give a three-year honours degree, but retain the foundation courses for the first year students.
Also read: FYUP row: DU`s letter to UGC`
This was the first time the DU had communicated to the UGC.
DU`s proposal was prepared by a 20-member group of academics Wednesday. The group had submitted these suggestions to DU Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh with an aim to end the ongoing impasse between the two bodies.
However, in a letter sent to the UGC Secretary Jaspal Singh Sandhu, the university also noted that reverting to the three-year course will take "substantial time".
Also Read:UGC seeking legal view on DU `compromise formula`
The university, in its proposal to the UGC, said it would be giving an honours degree to students under the three-year undergraduate programme. It, however, added that the foundation courses (language, literature and creativity, history and culture, science and life, building mathematical ability) introduced under the FYUP would remain for the first year students.
To the relief of B.Tech students, the proposal mentioned that the B.Tech course may be left untouched.
The admissions were to begin Tuesday but were suspended after the UGC, a statutory body of the government to coordinate and maintain the standards of University Education in India, told the Vice Chancellor to scrap the FYUP.
