HRD comes into the picture for a wider discussion on DU four year UG programme

Updated on: Friday, April 19, 2013

The proposed four-year undergraduate programme being rushed through by Delhi University is likely to be put under the scanner as the human resource development ministry wants to hear out the faculty members, the most crucial stakeholders, who have raised some pertinent issues related to the change. Though it is early to say if the programme will be put on hold, the fact that HRD has come into the picture shows its willingness to have a wider discussion.

A delegation of senior DU teachers, some of them among the most eminent in their field, met HRD secretary Ashok Thakur on Wednesday and presented their side of the story. Faculty members were called for a discussion by the ministry. "HRD wanted to reconcile our views on the four-year programme with what the DU administration has been telling ministry officials. We got a patient hearing and also learnt that the ministry has been given a distorted picture of our opposition," said one faculty member who was a part of the delegation. The ministry has asked the teachers to give a comprehensive written submission so that all views can be factored in.

Apart from pointing out specific objections to the proposal, teachers told the ministry officials about DU's refusal to have a dialogue with anyone having a different perspective. Faculty members have pointed out a series of problems with the new proposal. It includes no clear explanation for opting for the four-year course, problems with the curriculum, setting an impossible goal within a limited period, lack of consultation and inadequate infrastructure to support the new proposal. So far, DU has not been able to create the additional infrastructure needed to implement even the OBC reservations.

As for the extra financial burden that the programme would inflict, a rough calculation worked out by teachers shows that undergraduate courses would be costlier by 33%. Teachers are also demanding a white paper on the subject as it is being felt that once the DU makes the changes, it would have an impact on the undergraduate courses in other universities. "A change of such significance should not be brought about overnight," one faculty member said. He gives the instance of how various departments were told on March 5 to design a four-year course by March 20, an impossible task.

HRD comes into the picture for a wider discussion on DU four year UG programme

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