The HRD Ministry on Monday is believed to have “finally” asked the University Grants Commission (UGC) to give an “ultimatum” to Delhi University to “scrap” its four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP). Well-placed sources said that the commission late evening dispatched a formal letter to DU indicating to scrap the FYUP which has earned protests from across the board, especially the saffron wing. The BJP manifesto for Delhi had promised a rollback of the programme.
The June 16 letter to DU by the commission is in continuation of its communication to the university of its June 13 circular asking DU to review. The move comes following several students forum under the banner of ‘Save DU’ meeting with HRD Ministry officials on Monday contending that DU Vice-Chancellor Dinesh Singh was yet to receive the June 13 communication from UGC. The officials assured them of taking up the matter with UGC and HRD Minister immediately following a meeting was held by HRM Smriti Irani.
Sources said that Irani too received various complaints against DU V-C pointing that he continues to remain adamant and has announced a meeting of the Academic Council on June 21 to approve a new B. Tech. course in Forensic Sciences under the FYUP. “This amounts to a perpetuation of illegality as the FYUP itself is not approved,” they said.
“Since the V-C has paid no heed to the UGC decision against the FYUP, the meeting of the Academic Council is unwarranted and illegal. We urge you to step in and ensure that such illegality is not allowed to continue in our University,” the memorandum said.
In its full commission meeting on June 13, the members felt the FYUP was in violation of the national policy on education which follows the 10-plus 2-plus 3 pattern. “This university does enjoy autonomy but it has to obtain permission from the competent authority for the programme which in this case is the President (Visitor) itself,” said UGC.
UGC said that the programme stands to jeopardise the future of the students and hence, DU should review the FYUP “immediately”. The Commission had last year, on the advice of the HRD Ministry and controversies surrounding it, constituted an advisory committee to monitor the progress of the implementation of FYUP.