Criticising Delhi University's move to introduce Four-Year Undergraduate Programme, leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley demanded that the decision be deferred and extensive consultations be held among academicians before the switchover.
In a letter to HRD Minister MM Pallam Raju, Jaitley said the university has not taken all aspects and opinions into consideration before making the decision. He said that though it is the discretion of the academic community to decide the duration of the courses, he is ‘constrained’ to make some observations about the plan. “Adequate discussion within the university has not been held while deciding to switch over to a four-year course. Even with regard to the content of the curriculum, the subject has not been adequately discussed in the various faculties and departments,” Jaitley said.
He further maintained that the impact of a three-year course becoming a four-year one in terms of the socio-economic realities of India has not been factored. "It has not been discussed why the switch over to the four-year course is for one university and does not apply to other universities," Jaitley said.