FYUP row: Political interference has worsened the DU-UGC battle

Confusion prevailed on the ground particularly for students as the Delhi University-UGC battle continued for the third day, over the scrapping of the Four Year Degree Programme. Adding to the confusion was the news of Delhi University Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh resigning, only to be later clarified that the Human Resources Ministry did not receive any such resignation letter. “The university has to comply with the UGC directive as the FYUP is unrecognised by the Commission. The university must revert to the three-year course. The three-year course has not disappeared and the second and third year students are still studying it. Dinesh Singh did not follow the necessary norms that are required to implement the new course,” Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA), president, Nandita Narain told CNN-IBN during a panel discussion. [caption id=“attachment_1585721” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  AFP[/caption] “Rs 1,000 crore would be immediately required to run the four-year course with full infrastructure. Besides the course matters are elementary in nature and are trashy. You cannot gamble with another 60,000 lives. The new course matters were passed in a great hurry,” she said. Delhi University Academic Council member Anil Jha did not agree that norms were flouted while implementing FYUP. “All due procedures were followed before implementing FYUP. If there was urgency to remove the course it should have happened two months back or later but not three days before admissions. Course committees of all departments debated on the new subjects before it was approved. Rollback is not so easy. It will take months and months. why not review and fine tune the new course?” asked Jha. CSDS professor Madhu Kishwar hoped that the Delhi University VC would be allowed a fair chance to keep his viewpoint. She said that the UGC should also take its share of blame because of the mess. “On 1 May 2013 the UGC gave its stamp of approval for FYUP. In the Executive Council, 86 people assented for it while six dissented. In the Academic Council, 24 assented for it while six dissented. It was done through an ordinance. The UGC should also take accountability and can’t suddenly trash a course. The UGC is not mandated to direct universities. UGC can only give guidelines. UGC Act does not allow it to give orders to universities,” Kishwar said. The CSDS professor maintained there is an acute political interference into the whole affair. “It is a CPM-BJP-Congress fight. It is the lowest grade of teachers’ politics being played out now,” Kishwar said. The DUTA chief immediately objected to Kishwar’s comments. “It is not a CPM-BJP-Congress fight nor there is any political intervention when teachers are concerned. Anyone speaking for the VC now, is now going against the general body decision of the DUTA,” Narain said. Ironically, the BJP and Congress appeared on the same page as they sought to get the FYUP scrapped. “The egos of Kapil Sibal and Dinesh Singh are causing all the problems. Both Delhi University and UGC must follow due procedures. It is the future of the students that matters. If everyone feels that three-year course is better then why not scrap four-year course?” asked BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra. NSUI, national secretary, Angellica Aribam also agreed that the FYUP must go. “We know that there are shortcomings in the course and want it scrapped. But I would like to add that the UPA never meddled with the internal affairs of the university. Similarly, the UGC should not be a puppet at the hands of the BJP government,” Aribam said. UGC member MM Ansari felt that such deep political presence within the university will damage the institution. “There has been a shadow of political interference in Delhi University both in favour and against. That has to be removed,” he said. “The decision to scrap FYUP was taken by the UGC and it was backed by the government. Delhi University must comply with it. It is not the time to blame each other. Everyone must think of the reputation of the university. Earlier the Ministry of Human Resources, UGC and Delhi University were working in tandem. Now Delhi University has fallen out. If this stalemate continues, the university will not get off this logjam even next year.” Manipal Global Education chairman TV Mohandas Pai said, if needed, the administration of the university should be changed. “If the problem has gone out of control, the UGC should supercede the VC, the Academic Council, the Executive Council and appoint an administrator. Moreover, the Teachers’ Union can’t run the country. If the VC implemented the course poorly, the university must discuss it internally. Political interference in the administration of the university is the greatest wrong,” Pai said. A ray of hope came from the DUTA president. “We will stand by the students and urge the UGC to direct the VC to allow us to send out the cut-off lists,” Narain said.