Students from Delhi University’s School of Open Learning (SOL) protested outside the Ministry of Human Resource Development on Monday. The students were demonstrating against the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) order directing DU to specify the mode of learning on its degrees.
Objecting to the order, they said that the examinations they appear for were conducted by the same department of DU that conducts exams for regular students. The degrees should hold the same value, the students said. According to them, the “mode of delivery” on the degree would decrease its value.
The UGC had introduced the “mode of delivery” clause to erase ambiguities between the conventional mode and Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode degrees.
‘Why discriminate’
The students, however, said they would be asked why they obtained a degree through correspondence when they apply for jobs. “Many students who study at SOL are meritorious, but come from deprived backgrounds and cannot afford to live in Delhi. Many of them have to provide for their families after school. Why should they be discriminated against when they have studied the same syllabus as regular students?” said Gautam, one of the protesters.
Later, a delegation met HRD officials.
