DUTA protest outside V-C office in Delhi against implementation of new education policy

New Delhi: The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) on Tuesday held a protest against the implementation of the New Education Policy in the varsity. They protested outside the vice-chancellor’s office where the Academic Council meeting was underway to discuss the implementation of the policy. The Standing Committee on Academic Matters, in its meeting held on Monday, approved the implementation of the policy from 2022-23, the four-year undergraduate programme and multiple entry and exit options for students. The committee, however, deferred discussion on the implementation of the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC). The recommendations of the Standing Committee are being discussed in the Academic Council meeting. The DUTA wrote to acting Vice-Chancellor PC Joshi on Monday to request that these matters be first discussed at all statutory levels such as Departments, Faculties and Staff Councils before being placed in the Academic Council. “Such widespread discussions would enable the University to not take hasty steps towards implementation of the provisions of NEP 2020 and other regulations. It would do well for the University to remember the disastrous implementation of the FYUP in 2013 and its subsequent withdrawal in 2014 after widespread protests by all stakeholders,” the letter said The DUTA, in a statement, had said that the experience of the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) in 2013 had shown that students rejected the idea of additional expenditure for the fourth year. “Survey amongst students (carried in 2013) showed that students were spending close to Rs 1.5-2 lakh per year in staying in Delhi to receive an education. Students rejected the idea of FYUP because of the dilution of the first two years of FYUP. We see that the new model once again packs the first two semesters with lukewarm courses,” it had said on Monday.