Describing the National Educational Policy (NEP) as a step towards ‘women empowerment’, Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh on Monday said it will “help in making every woman financially independent”.
Mr. Singh added that if the NEP is implemented in the right spirit, “we will need more teachers in the coming years”. He urged “all university stakeholders” to be positive about the policy and to ensure the smooth implementation of the NEP.
Delivering a speech at the 99th College Day celebrations at Indraprastha College for Women, Mr. Singh said the multiple entry and exit option of the new undergraduate framework under the NEP would benefit girl students as statistics show that the maximum number of girls were unable to complete their education for various reasons.
“The new framework will allow them [girl students] the flexibility to exit and then rejoin their education at their convenience. Earlier what would happen was that if a student left her undergraduate admission midway, she would only have a 12th standard degree to show.” With the NEP in place, he added, girl students will have some form of degree to show even if they do not complete it as it will give them an opportunity to find jobs.
The Vice-Chancellor said the new features like having an academic bank of credit and skill development in the NEP will help in making every woman financially independent.
Mr. Singh said that instead of having a system that encourages rote learning and marks at any cost, NEP will bring about a system that focuses on innovation, creativity and originality with its focus on dissertation and research in the fourth year of the undergraduate programme for original ideas. “If students start to copy and purchase dissertations, we will get nowhere. There needs to be a change in mindset so that original work is produced,” the V-C said.
The Delhi University V-C also inaugurated the museum and archives section of the Indraprastha College for Women, which traces its history from starting as an intermediate college in two rooms of a haveli near Jama Masjid in 1924, to Chandrawali Bhawan, Civil Lines in 1934, and finally to its present premises Alipore House in 1939.
