As the second semester for the first batch of the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) in Delhi University comes to an end, there is one tension that clouds the college administration - the allocation of DCII (Discipline Courses II or minors) for the third semester. Though students in most colleges in the university have filled up forms stating their three preferred subjects for minors, as per the initial ruling, the university has set up a committee to frame the guidelines based on which the courses will be allocated. However, according to a few principals of colleges, the decision on the course allocation to students will still be an individual college prerogative.
Principal of Hansraj College, Dr VK Kawatra said, “We have formed a committee within the college as well which has formulated a set of guidelines. We are also awaiting the guidelines from the committee set up by the university. However, I feel that they will only give us a direction and set some ground rules for the programme. Apart from that, it will still be each college’s individual sanction to allot courses.”
On the contrary, some principals feel that the guidelines will make the programme more transparent. “There is a lot of confusion right now because we don’t know what the ground rules are. Further, some students want courses that are not available with us. We need to solve that problem and the guidelines by the committee will add some consistency in the programme,” said Dr Inder Jeet, Principal, College of Vocational Studies.
The six-member committee, chaired by Dean of Students Welfare, JM Khurana, conducted their first meeting on Wednesday and is expected to announce the guidelines by next week. The committee will monitor, implement and execute the DC-II programme as well. As per the FYUP guidelines issued in 2013, students can either study one minor subject of six papers or two minor subjects of three papers each. When contacted, Khurana refused to comment on the issue until the guidelines were declared.
So far, the colleges were the ones to entirely decide on how DCII will be allocated. Most colleges had even told students on what basis they would be allocated the course. But now the students have been asked to wait till the next semester to know what course has been allotted to them. “It’s not clear right now as to what subject we will minor in. We filled in three preferences for the minors based on the options given to us and were told that 99 per cent the first preference would be given to us. But no guidelines have been given to us from the college or the university,” said a student of Gargi College.
According to Kawatra, the problem arose when surveys revealed that a few courses may have too many takers. “There may be a case where a few popular courses like English and Economics may have too many takers. In such a case, guidelines are needed and those are awaited from the panel,” he said.