DU panel OKs new course structure for 28 departments

New Delhi: With admissions for new four-year undergraduate programmes set to begin from next month, the Delhi University`s Academic Council has approved new course structure for 28 departments.

"The Academic Council approved courses in Discipline 1, Discipline 2 as well as Application courses of 28 departments in a marathon meeting of 92 Council members," the university`s Registrar, Alka Sharma, said. The syllabus for the courses was passed with 86 votes in favour and six against, she added. The Academic Council met to assess the course syllabus recommended by the standing committee for subjects to be offered as major, minor and applied courses, besides the 11 foundational courses, which will be compulsory for all students. The meeting was adjourned for Wednesday to pass the remaining courses and to discuss several issues regarding the four-year undergraduate programme. Giving details about the approved courses, Academic Council member and director of South Campus Umesh Rai said most of the courses of the Faculty of Sciences and Arts were passed. "All the courses which come under Faculty of Interdisciplinary and Applied Sciences like electronics, instrumentation, microbiology, biochemistry were passed.” "Besides most of the courses related to Faculty of Arts including English, Hindi, Hindi Journalism, Urdu, Punjabi, Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit, Philosophy, Psychology also were passed," he said. Although Sharma did not give a clear picture on the number of papers and courses passed by the Academic Council, Council member Amitav Chakrobarty claimed 1,013 papers and 89 courses have been passed. "1,013 papers of 28 departments were passed. Minor changes were made in the meeting that were recommended by the Standing Committee," he said. Some of the Academic Council members raised objections regarding the development of the four-year programme`s structure and gave a note of dissent on it. "Lot of discussion happened. I have also given a note of dissent. If this course will get implemented, the workload of teachers will be reduced for the first two years. So due to this, some of the ad hoc teachers might be asked to leave," said SK Sagar, the member of Academic Council. The syllabus for biomedical science, botany, zoology, home science was also approved at the meeting. The four-year programme with multiple degree options will entail a shift from the present 10+2+3 scheme to a four-year graduation with multiple exit points. The new system, which is being watched closely by other universities, seeks to introduce interdisciplinary pedagogy, enhance the quality of education and impart employable skills. ANI