Delhi University to start admission for three-year courses from today - Daily Mail

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By
Heena Kausar
and Shaswati Das

In a move that spells relief for over two lakh DU aspirants, the University Grants Commission has directed the Delhi University to start the admissions process from Thursday onwards.

The UGC's directive comes after all 64 colleges under DU conveyed to the Commission on Wednesday that they are ready to comply with its directives to take admissions under the three-year format.

Making it clear that admissions will now be held for the three-year programme and not under the Four Year Undergraduate Programme, the UGC finally pulled the plug on FYUP.

UGC sources confirmed that an official communication was sent to the DU tonight, directing it to go ahead with the admission process from Thursday onwards under the three-year programme.

Earlier, admissions were scheduled to begin on June 24. But the process was deferred after a decision by DU Principals Association following the DU-UGC tussle over the four-year programme.

The college principals, meanwhile, said they have not received any such communication from either the UGC or the University.

"We have not received any communication with regard to starting admissions from tomorrow. All 64 colleges have conveyed to UGC that they are ready to comply with the earlier directives of the commission," DU Principals Association president S. K. Garg said.

Principal of Hindu College, Praduman Kumar said starting the admission process from Thursday was not feasible.

"We have not received any communication from the University as yet. There has to be some kind of a schedule for conducting admissions. Even though we are ready and waiting for a go ahead from the administration, starting it on Thursday itself is not feasible," Kumar said.

The colleges also expressed inability to kick start admissions from Thursday as they not only have to come out with cut-offs based on three-year programme but also redistribute the seats.

"If we have to start from tomorrow, then it is not possible. We have to redistribute the seats and come with cut-offs for the three-year courses. The application process was for four-year and our cutoffs were also decided based on that," Principal of Ram Lal Anand College, Vijay K. Sharma said.

In the midst of all these developments, a group of academicians submitted to DU Vice-Chancellor Dinesh Singh their proposal of introducing a three-year Honours programme with an optional fourth year for students to do research.

"The Delhi University is examining the proposal," a source said.

Most of the academicians in the group are said to be supporters of the DU Vice-Chancellor Dinesh Singh.

Meanwhile, the varsity has decided to conduct its Bachelor of Honors in Management Studies entrance test on Thursday.

"The DU has decided to go forward with the BMS entrance test. In case there is any change of admission guidelines by the competent authority, the same test will be valid for the admissions," DU Registrar Alka Sharma said. 

By Mail Today Bureau in New Delhi

As the stand-off over Delhi University's Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) continues, one of the two key players in the tussle is missing.

DU vice-chancellor Dinesh Singh is mysteriously off the scene even as the other key player - the University Grants Commission - has made its stand on FYUP very clear with letters and orders.

The otherwise media-friendly V-C has not issued any statement or letter since last Sunday, when the UGC ordered the university and 64 colleges under it to admit students under the three-year structure which was prevalent in DU prior to the introduction of FYUP.

On Wednesday, a group of academicians were the lucky few who were allowed to meet the V-C at his residence.

Singh has holed himself at his home in the university campus since Tuesday after it was announced by the university that he has resigned as the V-C. The announcement was later retracted.

After reports of his resignation emerged, he was visited by activist Madhu Kishwar, pro vice-chancellor Sudhish Pachauri, dean of colleges Malashri Lal and dean students' welfare J.M. Khurana, who asked him not to resign.

"We came here to request him to not resign. He hasn't resigned yet," Pachauri had said.

Although all of these officials came out and said that the V-C has not resigned, interestingly the V-C himself has not tried to clear the air.

The suspense over admissions has intensified since then, as neither the V-C nor his team has clarified on whether admissions will be done in FYUP format or the previous three-year format.

"The V-C is missing from the scene. He needs to come out and tell us if FYUP will remain or go. He needs to tell us when admissions will begin. Last year when he announced the introduction of FYUP, he was talking to everyone but this year he is silent," a professor said on condition of anonymity.

By Mail Today Bureau in New Delhi

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused an urgent hearing to two cross petitions in Delhi University's Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) matter - one for the implementation of FYUP and the other against it.

The high court has scheduled July 1 as the date of hearing for the petitions, before a regular bench.

The petitions were mentioned before a vacation bench of Justices Pratibha Rani and V Kameswar Rao. The bench said that it could not hear the matter immediately, as it was one of great concern and required effective hearing.

The plea challenging the UGC's notification to scrap FYUP has been filed by DU professor Aditya Narayan Mishra, while the PIL seeking implementation of the commission's decision to restore the earlier three-year undergraduate programme has been filed by advocate R.K. Kapoor.

The PIL by advocate Kapoor sought a resolution, saying: "Most of the university's colleges are deferring admissions, leading to confusion among lakhs of aspirants just a day before the admission process was to begin."

Mishra, an ex-DUTA (Delhi University Teachers' Association) president and an Assistant Professor at Aurobindo College, had on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court. The apex court had refused to intervene and directed him to approach the high court.

Mishra, in his plea before the SC, had submitted that FYUP is valid and the ordinance brought by the university regarding this is consistent with the UGC guidelines.

However, Kapoor has said: "FYUP violates the National Education Policy 1986, which advocates the 10+2+3 system, and therefore, it is necessary that DU must revert to the earlier system."

UGC had issued directives to DU and all its 64 colleges to conduct admissions under the three-year undergraduate programme and not under FYUP implemented by the varsity last year, the PIL said, adding that UGC has warned DU of "consequences" if they fail to implement the commission's direction.