New Delhi : The Delhi University on Friday gave in to the UGC diktat and scrapped the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP), bringing cheer to lakhs of DU aspirants who can now enroll for the earlier three-year course. The controversial programme had pitted the University Grants Commission and DU against each other with the former asking the varsity to junk it.
The deadlock had led to the admission process to 64 of DU’s 78 affiliated colleges being put on hold.
Backing off from what had become an ego fight, Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh said that the university had decided to roll back the FYUP. “The University of Delhi recognises the need of the hour. It is of paramount importance to protect the interest of the students by ensuring the start of the admission process,” Singh, who was behind the FYUP programme, said in a statement.
However, students who are already enrolled under the programme are a worried lot. These B Tech students are holding protests outside the office of University Grants Commission demanding a written assurance on the issue from the panel. “We feel cheated.
DU had promised a 4-year B Tech course,” said a student.
Speaking for the first time on the issue, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Irani made it clear that student interests needed to be protected at all costs.
She asked all players not to stand on “prestige” and said: “This is the time for statesmanship.”
“I respect autonomy of institutions. However institutions were created to serve people of the nation within ambit of law,” she tweeted.
