People from academics as well as politics on Friday came together to criticise the new Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) introduced by the Delhi University.
Under the banner of Joint Action Front for Democratic Education, teachers and politicians said the new format of the graduation course was in keeping with the ‘personal agenda’ of DU Vice-Chancellor Dinesh Singh and that it was not going to benefit the students.
During a discussion at India International, they expressed their extreme sense of resentment towards the implementation of new course.
They also said it was a threat to the democracy as its hurried implementation was seen more as an imposition. Besides, they maintained it was only serving the upper classes and the decision had the vested interests of the Vice-Chancellor.
JD (U) president Sharad Yadav said the vice-chancellor had put the entire nation’s interest at stake for his own personal interests.
He also slammed the Prime Minister’s inability to take concrete action despite petitioning him to stop implementation of the Four-Year UG Programme.
“There is a dire need to mobilise youngster against implementation of four year course,” Yadav added. Professor Hargopal too condemned the decision saying there were collective forces behind the “imposition” of the four year graduate plan.
Former Secretary PS krishan too questioned the haste in the implementation of the programme. According to him the vice chancellor wanted to become popular in the “American lobby”.
Also present during the discussion were Sitaram Yechuri, UGC Chairperson Professor Yashpal and Professor SK Thorat, former vice-chancellor (EFl University) Professor AK Maurya, Professor Jayati Ghosh and Arundhati Roy among others.