Allegations of foul-play continued against Delhi University administration when its Academic Council and Executive Council met on Saturday and approved the courses that will now be taught to second-year students who were admitted in the first run of the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) in 2013. The university will open its gates to around 60,000 new students on Monday.
Those who opposed the FYUP have accused the administration of bringing in the same syllabus as the erstwhile programme, while also approving of new courses in institutions which do not have the requisite approvals — all this while delaying the process of calling the meetings.
“There are no tutorials, no change in the examination and internal assessment. The main and allied papers will have presentation and project-based assessment. Most features of the FYUP have been retained,” said Executive Council member Abha Dev Habib.
However, several loopholes have not been filled — the fate of students who failed in the first year of FYUP being one. Whether they will be promoted to the next class or under which structure will they be compelled to appear for exams were they write them again. Clear-cut directions have also not been given to colleges on how to proceed in this matter.
Five new courses under the Cluster Innovation Centre were also approved by the Academic Council, but not placed before the Executive Council. The centre also does not have statutory approval.
“The current administration is once again creating a situation where a large number of students may have to face dire consequences. These courses were not placed before the Executive Council.”
The teachers who had accused the administration of calling the Academic Council and Executive Councils’ meet in haste to approve of the FYUP last year, have alleged that the thoughtlessness had been repeated this year as well.
“The habit of denying time to the members of the Academic Council and Executive Councils to apply their mind by convening emergent meetings, and providing the detailed agenda only a few hours before the meeting, has also remained unchanged, as is evident by delaying the matter inexplicably and then calling emergent meetings just one day ahead of the reopening date,” said DUTA president Nandita Narain.
She added that it was clearly evident the administration had not taken serious note of the distress caused to students and shame brought to the institution due to the violations committed by it in pushing the FYUP, which finally resulted in the scrapping of the course.
