On the second day of Delhi University’s Open House of the 2013-2014 admission session on Tuesday, a larger number of undergraduate aspirants and their parents participated in the event to clear their doubts regarding the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) which is to be implemented from this academic year.
The two-day ‘Open Day’ session was organised by Delhi University to clear the confusion and uncertainty among the aspirants and their parents regarding the FYUP structure and this year’s admission session. However, some of the students present at the session thought that this attempt had backfired. Though some were satisfied with the answers provided by the university officials, many remained uncertain and thought that their queries were not addressed appropriately.
Some important questions raised by the parents and students pertained to claims of employability by the university and how does it connect with one extra year of study and dilution of specialisation-based honours programme.
Astha, a Class XII student of Amity School, found the three-hour session a little helpful. “My main questions were regarding the admission procedure and what course would be appropriate for me since the structure of the courses was being altered now. I guess the responses that I got were satisfactory enough.”
When asked whether she now had a clear understanding of the four-year undergraduate structure, she seemed hesitant and said not all her queries were addressed.
The session saw a large number of agitated parents who were made to stand outside in the corridors of the conference centre because of lack of space in the hall. They seemed angry because they did not get a chance to raise questions that were perturbing them regarding the programme. The parents sitting inside the conference hall too seemed critical about the whole scenario. They said they felt that the Delhi University officials were deliberately avoiding taking up their questions.
Manju Jain, mother of a Class XII student from Apeejay School, was fairly disappointed by the session. “None of my questions regarding the four-year programme was answered. The officials were only taking questions which were about the admission forms and colleges from where they can be collected. Even the attitude of the Dean of Students’ Welfare was disappointing. He talked very sternly with the parents,” she said.
Ms. Jain is concerned that if her daughter decides to leave the honours programme after three years she will have a disadvantage over the ones who opted for the fourth year. She still doesn’t know who after all will clarify her queries regarding her daughter’s career if not the Delhi University administration.
