Hectic parleys between the HRD Ministry, University Grants Commission (UGC) and Delhi University (DU) on Monday failed to resolve the row over continuation of the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) in DU.
Despite telltale signs that the UGC enjoyed the blessing of the HRD Ministry in putting pressure on the DU to scrap the four-year course, HRD Minister Smriti Irani pleaded innocence and claimed she would not intervene in the matter.
At the same time, in his meeting with UGC Chairperson Ved Prakash, an enraged DU Vice-Chancellor Dinesh Singh pointed out that FYUP was started after seeking due clearances of all the stakeholders including the UGC. The meeting was held in the presence of HRD Secretary (Higher Education) Ashok Thakur.
Various students and teachers’ associations on Monday demonstrated in front of the Shastri Bhawan which houses the HRD Ministry demanding immediate rollback of the programme. The controversy has left in the doldrums, the future of 54,000 students already enrolled under the system of FYUP.
In the two rounds of crucial meeting between Irani and Ved Prakash, top Ministry officials including Thakur were also present. In between the two meetings, UCG and DU bosses too met separately after which the entire admission process in DU was put in abeyance. Sources said that the UGC Chairperson was taken to task by the HRD Minister for allowing the crisis to blow out of proportion. “Irani expressed her displeasure over the delay in solving the matter with the DU authorities,” sources said.
With DU unwilling to obey at least 15 communications by the university watchdog within three days on rolling back the four-year course, a ten-member UGC committee headed by Ved Prakash met for the first time on Monday to discuss the stalemate. Teachers’ activist and DU Professor Nandita Narain, who is member of the committee, said it has been made very clear that admissions cannot take place under FYUP and action will be taken against colleges if they go forward with admissions.
“Admission, under FYUP, if it takes place (from Tuesday), will be illegal,” she said after the meeting. Narain, who is also the president of Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA), said the meeting also discussed ways to migrate the existing lot of students under FYUP to the three-year UG programmes.
Asked about the ongoing row between the university and the UGC, Narain said there was no question of any stand-off as the university has complied with the UGC order.
The row between UGC and DU also sparked a speculation that if the HRD Ministry continues to attack the autonomy of DU through the Commission, Vice-Chancellor Dinesh Singh may put in his papers as he had introduced the FYUP after seeking due clearances and suggestions from all the stakeholders.
The UGC on Sunday issued directions both to DU and all 64 colleges under it to conduct admissions under the Three-Year Undergraduate Programme and not under the controversial FYUP implemented by the varsity last year. The commission warned both DU as well as the colleges of “consequences” if they failed to implement the UGC’s direction.
Amidst the prevailing confusion, former HRD Minister MM Pallam Raju, who is a supporter of the FYUP, said there was an attempt to politicise the issue. “Unfortunately there is an attempt to politicise it, which should not be done,” Raju said. Raju, who had defended the controversial FYUP, said the autonomy of the universities must be respected.