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Delhi University scraps 4-year degree course

The University of Delhi (DU) on Friday scrapped its controversial four-year undergraduate programme and reverted to the three-year course that it used to offer until a year ago, ending a stand-off with the University Grants Commission (UGC) and paving the way for resumption of the admission process, which was deferred by several days this year.

“The University of Delhi recognises the need of the hour. It is of paramount importance to protect the interests of the students by ensuring the start of the admission process,” DU Vice-Chancellor Dinesh Singh, who had spearheaded the move to introduce the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP), said in a statement.

“In line with the directive of the UGC, the University has decided to roll back the FYUP.

Consequently, the admission process shall be conducted under the scheme of courses that were in force in the academic session 2012-13 in all the colleges of the University of Delhi,” he said.

“It is expected that the principals of our colleges shall assist in devising and ensuring a speedy completion of the admission process,” he added.

While the DU’s decision has brought to an end the stalemate between DU and UGC, the unseemly episode has raised questions about the autonomy of educational institutions and the extent of freedom that universities and academic institutions have in designing courses. It has also raised questions about the role of the UGC, a statutory body of the government of India for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education in India, and how much say it, and through it the government of the day, has in academic matters.

The FYUP was at the centre of controversy right from the time it was first proposed by Singh and he had to make a lot of efforts to try and persuade teachers and students of the university that it was important to make the switch from the three-year programme.

Singh had the backing of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, which was in power at that time, and then Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is now in power, had promised to scrap the FYUP in its election manifesto for Delhi and its student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had been campaigning against it for long.

As things turned out, with elections likely soon to the Delhi Legislative Assembly, the Congress and its student wing, the National Students Union of India (NSUI) also changed its views and said it was all for the three-year programme.

“I respect autonomy of institutions. However, institutions were created to serve people of the nation within ambit of law. This is the time for statesmanship which leads to resolution. Don’t sacrifice interest of students at altar of prestige,” Union Minister for Human Resource Development Smriti Irani said in a statement on the issue after DU finally gave in on Friday.