University Grants Commission(UGC) Directs Delhi University to go back to old 3-year programme or 'face consequences' Sunday June 22,2014

It was supposed to change the face of higher education in four years. 

But one year after its introduction at Delhi University, the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) has been targeted for termination by the University Grants Commission (UGC). 

The UGC, a statutory body that oversees standards of education and disbursal of funds to universities nationwide, on Sunday June 22,2014 directed the university and the 64 colleges that come under it to admit students under the traditional three-year structure that prevailed before the FYUP.

In the letter, shot off a day after Delhi University's Academic Council (AC) passed a resolution supporting FYUP - with minor modifications to make it compliant with the National Policy on Education, the UGC warned of "consequences" if its directives were not followed.

About 60,000 students are studying under FYUP, and DU is to begin admissions on Tuesday June 24,2014 for approximately 55,000 seats

Disobeying the UGC direction could spell trouble for DU as it could stand to lose grants, and degrees offered by the university could be de-recognised.

Even as the university remained tight-lipped about its next step, the UGC order means a roll-back of FYUP.

As DU is an autonomous university, any change in the structure will have to be ratified by its AC and Executive Council (EC)

In the absence of Delhi University (DU) clarifying its stand on the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) despite an order from the University Grants Commission (UGC) to withdraw it, this year's admission season has devolved overnight into unbridled chaos.

On Monday June 23,2014 - just a day before the admission process was to kick off with the first cutoff list - DU colleges decided to defer the process till unambiguous guidelines are issued, leaving this year's aspirants and last year's 60,000 FYUP students in the lurch. 

The ongoing UGC-Delhi University tussle over the revocation of Four Year Undergraduate Programme saw a fresh turn on Monday June 23,2014, with the Ministry of Human Resource Development stating that the varsity should comply by the Commission's orders.

Earlier in the day, Union HRD minister Smriti Irani met UGC chairman Ved Prakash amid uncertainty about the FYUP's future and the impending re-introduction of the three-year system On Friday, the University Grants Commission had asked the DU to scrap the four-year programme with immediate effect and admit students only under the three-year programme from the new academic session.

"Any deviation from this directive either by the University of Delhi or any of the colleges under it shall be deemed to be in contravention of the UGC Act, 1956 with its consequences," the UGC had said in a statement.

 

DU Vice Chancellor quits over 4-year course row

Amidst protests and confusion over the 4-Year Undergraduate Programme, Delhi University Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh has resigned from his position. Singh had been adamant on not scrapping the four-year course as against the University Grants Commission order.

The DU Teachers Association welcomed Singh's resignation saying this will make way for the university to go back to the three-year undergraduate course. "He had no choice. Action should be taken against him. He cannot get away with resigning. We have to look at the policy in which Dinesh Singh was working. Hope the situation at DU will be normal," DUTA President Nandita Narain said.

The four-year course mess even reached the court on Tuesday June 24,2014as former Delhi University Teachers Association President Aditya Narayan Mishra approached the Supreme Court against the UGC order on scrapping the FYUP. The court refused to take up the case and directed the Delhi High Court to take up the matter. It is likely to come up for hearing on Wednesday June 25,2014

 

57 of Delhi University's 64 colleges confirm they'll admit students to traditional three-year courses

Delhi University's Four Year Undergraduate Programme is history now, with 57 of its 64 affiliated colleges ready to admit students into traditional three-year courses.

This dramatic end to the snowballing FYUP controversy came on a day of hectic meetings and intense politicking, including a resignation-that-wasn't of Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Dinesh Singh.

A press release issued on Tuesday June 24,2014 by the University Grants Commission (UGC), after six hours of deliberations with Human Resource Development ministry officials, said a communication has been sent to DU directing it to write to colleges immediately and tell them to admit students to three-year undergraduate programmes. 

The release also listed colleges which have agreed to implement the three-year programme.

The list includes Hindu College, Jesus and Mary College, St. Stephen's College, Miranda House, Sri Venkateswara College, Lady Shri Ram College and Shri Ram College of Commerce.

"The University Grants Commission had on 20th June, 2014 issued a set of directives to the University of Delhi for admitting students for academic year 2014-15 onwards for the general undergraduate programs to the 3 year undergraduate programme which was prevalent in the University prior to introduction of FYUP.

"The University was also directed to make appropriate arrangements for enabling the migration of students already admitted in the FYUP in 2013-14 to the 3 year undergraduate programme structure, and to take all steps as may be necessary to adhere to the 10+2+3 structure. It directed the University of Delhi to inform all colleges of the UGC's directives for immediate and strict compliance," the notice read.

The UGC's communication of Sunday was forwarded by the DU Registrar's office to all affiliated colleges, saying the notice was "self explanatory".

While 57 DU colleges replied to UGC on Tuesday, saying they are complying with the directives of the commission to conduct admissions in the three-year system, DU officials said the admission process will still take some days to begin.

DU officials said the university ordinance currently has the FYUP system, and it is only after a change in the ordinance that admissions can begin.