The UGC-DU row over the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) on Tuesday reached the Delhi High Court where a PIL was filed for restoration of the three-year degree course even as the Supreme Court refused to intervene in the issue.
While the PIL seeks restoration of the earlier three-year undergraduate programme as directed by University Grants Commission (UGC), a Delhi University (DU) professor challenged the notification scrapping the FYUP in the apex court which asked him to move the High Court.
The PIL by advocate R.K. Kapoor sought an early resolution to the “controversy”, saying, “Most of the university’s colleges are deferring admissions, leading to confusion among lakhs of aspirants...”
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Professor Aditya Narayan Mishra, an ex-DUTA (Delhi University Teachers’ Association) president and an Assistant Professor at Aurbindo College, in his plea before the apex court submitted that FYUP is valid and the ordinance brought by DU regarding this is consistent with UGC guidelines but the apex court refused to intervene in the matter and asked him to approach the HC.
“Please go to High Court. The High Court would consider the matter and we would also have benefit of the reasoning of HC on the issue (when the matter comes before SC),” a vacation bench headed by Justice Vikramajit Sen said when the matter was mentioned before it for urgent hearing.
Mr. Kapoor in his plea has said that “FYUP violates the National Education Policy 1986, which advocates the 10+2+3 system, and therefore it is necessary, that DU must revert to the earlier system“.
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The petition also states that due to the conflict between UGC and DU there is no clarity regarding the admission process.
Mr. Kapoor has sought directions to DU to implement the three—year undergraduate programme as recommended by UGC.
A year after the programme was introduced, DU and the UGC are at loggerheads over the course.
The UGC had issued directions both to DU and all 64 colleges under it to conduct admissions under the three-year under-graduate programme and not under the four-year programme implemented by the varsity last year, the PIL said, adding that UGC has warned DU and its colleges of “consequences” if they fail to implement the Commission’s direction.
The petition also states that 44 colleges under DU have voted against FYUP after implementing it last year.