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AISA conducts Bike Caravan against the FYUP

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Seeing no action being taken either by the centre or by the state government against the Four year undergraduate programme  (FYUP), All India Students’ Association (AISA) carried out a protest on the streets of Delhi recently on the 10th of March. As a part of the prolonged FYUP Hatao, Future Bachao yatra – the bike caravan saw members of the student party travelling around 28 colleges of Delhi University and covering about 150 Kilometres.

According to some sources in AISA, the party wants to make it an election issue, reaching out to major political parties and inviting their stand on the issue. “We have tried our level best to make sure that FYUP is rolled back, though policy paralysis and less impetus among political parties for the issue has been a cause of deterrence. We will now take the issue to the parliament”, said Anmol, State Vice-President of AISA.

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The student’s party has also been protesting against the possible re-appointment of Prof. Dinesh Singh as the Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University.

After repeated agitations and assurances, the much awaited rollback of Delhi University’s FYUP has still not become possible. With the possibility that Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dinesh Singh might serve another term as the VC, the chances of a complete rollback seem even lesser.

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Students and teachers continue protests against FYUP

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The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) in association with various students’  groups conducted a Protest March to the Parliament demanding a roll-back of the FYUP on the 18th of February. The DUTA had organized this March along with various students’ organisations including All India Students’ Association (AISA), All India Democratic Students’ Organization (AIDSO), Democratic Students’ Union (DSU), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Federation (AISF), and the students’ wing of Aam Aadmi Party – CYSS.

fyupprotest

In what was labelled as a March towards Parliament, students and teachers marched from outside Zakir Husain College to the Parliament Street where they were joined by MPs, leaders of political parties, trade unions, women’s organizations and civil society bodies. Political leaders including Manish Sisodia and Ashutosh (AAP), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), OP Kohli (BJP), Tarun Kumar Mandal (SUCI-Communist), Udit Raj (SC/ST Federation), DP Tripathi (NCP), Kavita Krishnan (CPI-ML and AIPWA), Jagmati Sangwan (AIDWA) and Iqbal Singh Sindhu (AIFUCTO), All India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE) joined the procession at Parliament Street. The March culminated in a massive Public Meeting next to the Parliament Street police Barricades.

The marchers not only demanded a roll-back of the FYUP but also a reversal of the education policies’ thrust towards commercialization and PPP model. Removal of VC Dinesh Singh and condemnation of the Government’s decision to award him with a Padma Shri after allowing him to destroy Delhi University were also put forward in the form of slogans and handbills distributed to the public.

Manish Sisodia addressed the issue of commercialization of education and large-scale contractualization in teaching jobs. He also criticized the DU VC’s disregard of all democratic norms and processes, as was recently evident in the controversy over the formation of Governing Bodies in the Delhi Government colleges. He underlined the need to build popular resistance against the Government’s commercialization agenda in Education and expressed the AAP’s commitment to fighting against FYUP.

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Women’s organization leaders Kavita Krishnan, Jagmati Sangwan and Ritu Kaushik (AIMSS) expressed their opposition to the FYUP by stating that it would keep the large majority of girls and young women from poorer families out of good jobs and higher studies that are the only guarantee against the conservative pressure of Khap Panchayats and the patriarchal family structures.

DUTA President Nandita Narain expressed the DUTA’s resolve to continue the struggle with greater intensity till the principal demands of the teachers and students are met. She warned the Government that its indifference to the plight of the Delhi University community would cost it heavily in the General Elections as the destruction of a Central university like DU is going to alienate the masses and turn them against any party in power that imposes anti-people measures under the garb of reforms. She attributed this indifference as a factor in the Congress Party’s heavy defeat in the last Assembly elections. She appealed to all sections of the public to join the struggle against FYUP and the policies which undermine the future of students and teachers in higher education.

In a similar protest, on 15th February, AISA led a march to UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi’s house to protest against the new format of UPSC exams and Delhi University’s four year undergraduate programme.

AISA has been condemning FYUP for a long time now and is demanding a full rollback. The student’s party had already made its stand clear on the same during the Delhi University union polls, adhering to which they have been carrying protest marches along with ABVP and DUTA in the recent past.

According to sources, due to the unavailability of UPA chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, the party led its march to All India Congress Committee’s Office where they met Mr. Janardan Dwivedi, senior leader of Indian National Congress who further deputed the case to Mr. Shakeel Ahmed, senior spokesperson of INC. Mr. Dwivedi, though ensured the protesters that their demands would be looked into and action would be taken.

DUTA and students organisations also conducted protests against Antardhvani the previous week, condemning the nature of FYUP promotion embedded in all activities of the cultural fest.

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DUTA protests against the misuse of Antardhvani

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Delhi University Teacher’s Association organized a protest cum cricket match on the 14th of this month outside the Vice Chancellor’s office, to raise its voice against misuse of Antardhvani- the annual cultural festival of Delhi University, by the VC and his administration. The march which started around 11 a.m., quickly transforming into a cricket match, was one of a kind.
Even the incessant rain couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of teachers and students alike who gathered in large numbers shouting slogans and supporting one team or the other. They protested against the VC’s anarchy, because according to them, the VC has been using Antardhvani for his own designs, forcing principals of different colleges to make their teachers and students attend the fest.

One of the teachers pointed out that the lack of sports in the current year shows how the VC is not opening the sports fields to teachers and students but using it only for his personal purposes. They said that these fields are public property and VC has no power to stop them from utilizing it. The DUTA demanded that the University stadia that were renovated during the CWG should be thrown open for the use of students and teachers. They also addressed the issue of FYUP and stated how the four year course could still be converted into three year graduation and last year could be optional for those who want internships. “We had initially planned to play against the VC, wanting to beat all the shady people on their team but he hasn’t even been talking to us let alone turning up for this match, so we played against the students”, said Nandita Narain, the President of DUTA sarcastically. “We also want FYUP to be rolled back for the current batch but I don’t see this happening because our VC is all about the Padma Shri award”, said another member of DUTA.

All in all the protest march was yet another attempt of DUTA to bring a change in the continuously deteriorating conditions of the University. The cricket match with its satirical commentary in the pouring rain, showed how determined they are in their cause to do away with VC’s high handedness.

Similar protests were also carried out by various students’ groups, in the past week. Reiterating the misuse of the fest to promote FYUP and asking for its rollback, the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) along with members of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and All India Students Association (AISA) have been up in arms against the Vice Chancellor.

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DUSU and ABVP observe ‘bandh’ in Delhi University

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The dissatisfaction against the First Year Undergraduation Programme (FYUP) was recently expressed as a ‘Delhi University Bandh’, organised under the leadership of DUSU and ABVP party members on the 17th of January, 2014. Apart from their major demand for the dissolution of the FYUP, the protest also included some other demands such as a restart to the recently scrapped off re-evaluation system, and an introduction of certain benefits for the economically weaker sections of the ‘general’ class. The dharna was staged in North Campus, propagating their agenda in several colleges, primarily including Kirori Mal, Hans Raj and Hindu.

Through banners and posters, a prior notice about the bandh had been given to the students and teachers of Delhi University. While the classes seemed to go about as usual in several colleges, some colleges including Lady Irwin College saw many classes get cancelled. The attendance drop was low in most colleges, with a 15% drop in KMC. Ramjas College already didn’t have any classes scheduled in lieu of the College Founder’s day. The protests started off from the Faculty Of Arts around 12 p.m., slowly gaining momentum as banners and chants of “Rollback FYUP” caught the attention of interested onlookers. However, as Kirori Mal and S.G.T.B Khalsa college indicate, this action was only restricted to a number of colleges as a tight security arrangement had been arranged for restricting and minimising the acts of hooliganism. Most off campus colleges including Motilal Nehru, Sri Venkateswara College and Lady Shri Ram College for Women were not effected by the bandh with classes continuing in a normal fashion.

The bandh is the part of a series of protests that ABVP is planning for the rollback of the FYUP. They have also followed a black ribbon day distributing fliers and black ribbons to students as a form of protest.

“FYUP has failed to live up to the expectations and the results prove that, it seems like the marks have been distributed to students for no reason other than the promotion of FYUP…like a lollipop being offered to a kid” says an ABVP member, Hindu College.

Akhil Goswami ([email protected]) and Isheeta Sharma ([email protected])

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DUTA to hold ‘cluster dharnas’ against FYUP and more

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In the wake of some recent policies undertaken at the university Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) proposes to organise ‘Cluster Dharnas’ at various colleges of Delhi University.

DUTA has raised the slogan ‘FYUP Roll Back, DU VC Go Back’ in a recent poster issued by them for the dharnas. It puts forward the demand for implementing the Honours Degree in 3 years for the current students of the Four Year Program. DUTA also wants to insist on filling up of teaching positions which lies vacant as of now in the university. Apart from this, DUTA intends to raise the issues of correct implementation of 200 point roster, withdrawal of screening criteria at the entry level of assistant professor and selection committees as mandated by the UGC regulations in the ‘cluster dharnas’.

The schedule of these cluster dharnas at different colleges in Delhi University is as follows:

16 January 2014

Thursday

Aditi Mahavidyalaya, SSN College, KNC, Gargi College, IHE, LSR

17 January 2014

Friday

DBC, ANDC, Ramanujan College, PGDAV(M&E), CVS, SBSC(M&E),

SAC(M&E)

18 January 2014

Saturday

MH, LBC, HRC, Ramjas College, SGTB Khalsa, Satyawati(M&E), SOL

20 January 2014

Monday

ZHDC, MSC, DSC(M&E), LIC, ZHC(E), ARSD, MLN(M&E), RLA(M&E), SVC,DCAC, Maitreyi College, JMC

21 January 2014

Tuesday

Kirorimal College, Hindu College, Daulat Ram, IP, SRCC, Departments

JDM, Kalindi College, DDU, SGND Khalsa College, Bhariti College

22 January 2014

Wednesday

MAC, Vivekanand College, Shyamlal College(M&E), SSCBS, SRCAS, MV College of Education, BRAC, Rajdhani College, Shivaji College, Keshav Mahavidyalaya, SGGS College of Commerce, SPM, Bhagini Nivedita

“These cluster dharnas have been organised with the objective to contact everyone in Delhi University personally by visiting different colleges. Decentralisation of dharnas would help us to get the problems solved more effectively. Delhi University is a very vast institution and therefore it is essential we get in touch with most of the students and teachers for better redressal of issues concerning the university”, said Anita Ghosh, Joint Secretary of Delhi University Teacher’s Organisation.

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Of great marks and bleak futures

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Results are possibly the most unnerving concept in a student’s life. As the fresh batch of Delhi University students awaited their results, many believed that like the first batch of the semester system saw an exponential hike in marks in their first university exam, this new batch would undergo a similar fate. Another effort by the University to show us all how right they were to introduce the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP), and how all the dharnas, strikes, protest marches against the FYUP were completely baseless. And as luck would have it, they were not proven wrong. Scores touched the sky, and many of those who didn’t even write the papers got 50% marks.

As someone who believes very firmly that marks are no measure of a person’s caliber, intellect and heart, my problems with the generous marking is that our administration needs to justify its bad decisions. Proven eloquently by many, and multiple times, it is not something that can be solved by being stingy and ruthless, but possibly by some introspection that University officials, teachers, students and even the HRD ministry could all benefit from.

Simply put, it’s not so much about the marks as it is about the intentions. Intentions to make an entire batch of the student community silent, content with the half baked knowledge they’re gaining about subjects that don’t interest them and are poorly structured; intentions to silence all teachers who have been courageously speaking out against the ruin of the University, sometimes even risking their jobs; intentions to give the fore bearers of the FYUP a pat on the back for having achieved what the University has never achieved before – sky high marks, leading to polished CVs, which in turn, lead to the biggest argument made for the FYUP – ‘employability’.

Assuming this employability will actually exist, what would it be worth if it means employing someone whose result sheet speaks far more than the concepts they learnt? Or if it comes at the cost of being made to study a subject you have absolutely no interest in? Would this employability be worth an unhappy four years, made tolerable by marks one probably doesn’t deserve, making those who deserve these scores feel mediocre? Isn’t the price we’re paying for this (assumed) employability far too high?

Having learnt so much from Delhi University, I’m writing this in the hope that the FYUP doesn’t take this learning away from those who’ve just made the transition from school to college – a transition that isn’t easy, to say the least. And to top that, when all your dreams of studying and learning what you really want to, studying it well, having the time to soak the concepts into your mind, body and heart (which would be far more ‘integrated’ without the FYUP!) are shattered, only to console you with marks that you didn’t expect, the University becomes a mere sham. I hope these scores don’t silence us, and I hope we continue to stand up for learning, education and character.

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Delhi University releases FYUP date sheet for examinations to be held in May 2014

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One day after the start of the new semester, Delhi University has rolled out a ‘tentative’ date sheet for the second semester Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) examinations scheduled for May 2014. This tentative examination schedule was announced by the University on 3rd January, 2014.

The examinations for many courses start on 5th May while the last exam is seen to be scheduled on 22nd of May.

The scenario is seen to be similar to the previous semester, when the date sheet arrived much before results were declared for all years and subjects. While the date sheet for first year students has been released, it is still awaited for second and third year students.

FYUP students can check the date sheet here: Arts Courses | Commerce | Science | Foundation/Applied Courses

 

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Top Delhi University events of 2013

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2013 has been a turbulent year for Delhi University. While the Vice Chancellor brought about a significant change in the University with the plan of taking a step towards providing holistic education for the students, protests over its implementation followed. Other important changes included merging and scrapping of certain courses and entrance exams and removal of the Revaluation System.

With 2014 a few hours away, we take a look back at some of the biggest events that took place in our University this year.

Introduction of Four Year Undergraduate Program

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Hands down the biggest news of the year, Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh proposed and implemented the FYUP in DU. Along with the introduction of an additional year for all courses across the University, most entrance exams including the CATE and CJET were scrapped off, certain courses like the Programme courses were done away with and some were merged like the Journalism and Mass Communication courses and the three Undergraduate Management courses. The syllabi were redrawn to include Foundation Courses that were to be common across all colleges and courses and exit points for students were also added. All these changes were implemented despite protests from students, parents and teachers.

Second chance for students who failed a year

After a series of drastic changes that raised eyebrows from teachers and students alike, the University finally issued some positive news in July. According to the Notice, students who had failed a year would not have to repeat the entire year and could simply retake the exams of previous subjects along with the new ones instead.

DUSU and DUTA Elections 2013

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The DUSU elections took place in September this year and the newly elected Union comprised 3 ABVP members and one representative from NSUI. Aman Awana was elected as the President. The week before the elections saw aggressive campaigning from all parties with flyers strewn across every inch of North Campus.

In Picture: DUTA President Nandita Narain | Image Credit: Abhinav Arora for DU Beat

The DUTA elections, which were held in August saw a large turnout this year. Dr. Nandita Narain from DTF was elected as the body’s President.

BR Ambedkar College’s Principal suspended over sexual assault allegations

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Bhim Rao Ambedkar College’s Principal, G K Arora was suspended in October after allegations of sexual abuse were made against him. The alleged victim, Pavitra Bhardwaj was a Laboratory Assistant in the college and had filed a case against him four years ago. The suspension was made after a recommendation by the college’s governing body after Bhardwaj immolated herself outside the Chief Minister’s Office.

Removal of Revaluation System

Another notification issued by the University in October declared that revaluation of examination sheets would be discontinued post the Semester Exams held in November-December 2013. The University explained that since the papers would now be jointly examined by multiple professors, there would be no need for revaluation. Though both the DUTA and DUSU cabinet were vocal about their opposition of this move, as is usually the case, their views were ignored by the VC.

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Student feedback on FYUP reflects disappointment

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The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) held a press conference at their office on Monday in order to make public the feedback they received from students of Miranda House College, St. Stephen’s College, SRCC, Dyal Singh College and the Germanic and Romance Study with regard to the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP). Initially DUTA President Nandita Narain drew attention to the AISA referendum conducted earlier this year. This referendum in overwhelming numbers of student votes rejected the FYUP. She then went on to attack the official feedback survey undertaken by the University officials and called it a skewed exercise as it did not give the student any real scope to express opinion against the FYUP. Moreover the feedback was never made public, which makes it safe to assume that the students still went on to out rightly reject the FYUP. The DUTA in its attempt to conduct a fair survey devised its own questionnaire and received feedback from a total of 930 students out of which 570 belong to Miranda House, 212 students are from St Stephens and 148 from SRCC. The data collected from Dyal Singh College and from the students studying in the Faculty of Germanic and Romance Studies was not available as all feedback forms had not been returned, but the data shall be available soon was the reassurance.

The students of the above mentioned colleges rejected the University’s claim of increased employability under the new system. 88% students from Miranda House and 73% from SRCC believed that the Foundation Courses (FCs) were nothing but a refurbished format of what was already taught in school. This led to 86% of Miranda students and 89% of SRCC students saying that there was no use of the FCs in the course of learning. Students also voiced their concerns about how the FCs gave them no time or scope to study the DC I courses- the ones they had actually opted for in college. The question of striking a balance between studies and extracurricular activities also seemed like a ‘dream’ to many students present. Meriam from St. Stephens said that due to long hours of classes under the FYUP they were left with little to no time to take part in the co- curricular activities that they liked.

Feedback

Dr. Renu Arora and Dr. Abha Dev Habib- professors from Miranda House along with Arini Kar and Deepika Bisht from Miranda voiced the many concerns of teachers and students. The system of having about 55 marks out of 75 as internal assessment was questioned again. With an average of 100 students on roll in a class, the teacher would only be toying with the student’s result in case he or she is unable to recall the class performance of each and every student. It was also told how the lack of proper study/ research material made project work nothing but a sham. The laptops distribution exercise was mocked by calling it ‘a pacifier to a crying baby’ by Alisha from Dyal Singh College.

Other concerns raised were that from the point of view of outstation students. Given that the cost of living in Delhi averages out to be 1 to 1.5 lakhs a year for an outstation student. The additional 4th year would doubly burden these students and their families, it must be noted that this sample is made up by students coming from varying social and economic abilities. Dr. Virat and Dr. Vikas, professors from Dyal Singh college chipped in by saying that the teachers also reject the FYUP alongside the students. Moreover they turned their attention to the problems faced by differently abled students, especially those who are visually challenged. They said that there was a lack of accessibility to the new study material and teachers of FCs were not given any special training in order to deal with such challenges. Dr. Vikas said that this system should have been reconsidered instead of it being imposed in a top down manner. Adding to this, Dr. Virat told us how the voices of the real stakeholders- students and teachers- is to be taken into account.

The DUTA in this situation proposes the following things. First of all a full roll back of the FYUP and a complete U- turn to the Annual system. This is proposed for the next batch of students, that is the incoming batch of 2014- 15. For the current batch that is already in this system, DUTA suggests that the number of FCs to be cut down considerably if not removed and the course be restructured to make DC I and DC II courses more dominant. Also, the fourth year should be made optional covering more ‘applied and hands on courses in the 4th year.’ The DUTA also criticized the mid course exit points option by calling it a farce, their demand is that even this should be done away with.

The DUTA reassured students and teachers by saying that even though the University administration refused to acknowledge its mistakes, the DUTA shall constantly intensify its efforts in reversing these wrongdoings, its aim is to ultimately do away with the FYUP and bring back the 3 year Annual System, with retention of B. A., B. Com. And B. Sc. Programme courses.

DUTA’s suggestion for the current batch of the FYUP, they hope to get implemented by the 2nd year that is 3rd semester of the current batch:

DC- I

DC- II

First Year

2+2

—

Second Year

3+3

2+2

Third Year

4+4

1+1

Total

18

6

Fourth Year

Applied/ Research Courses- optional.
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After semester exams, FYUP students agitated by Foundation Courses

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The shift to the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) in Delhi University also led to the incorporation of the much hyped and criticised Foundation Courses. The University also sanctioned some books and extra classes in adherence to the same. The courses sublimed into the regular college hours easily and students accepted them as a part of their curriculum. But now, with the culmination of the 1st semester exams, many eyebrows are being raised on the mere basis of these courses.

The emerging concern here is with respect to the questions that propped up during the examinations. As we approached the students to gather their sentiments on the same, one could easily figure out the angst in them. “I came to college to receive education of higher quality and learn things my school life prepared me for 13 years, not to do things as juvenile as writing a paragraph on national harmony”, said Saptarshi Lahiri, pursuing political science from SGTB Khalsa College. The questions which came in the exams merely connoted themselves to the respective courses.

For example, a student had to write an essay on the ‘Importance of festivals in integrating different religions of India’, in the exam of FC-Hindi, something which he/she could have written on the basis of mere general knowledge. Not only Hindi, but various other FCs had similar questions.

“Anyone could have answered them (questions) without even attending a single class”, said Roopali Handa, a student from SRCC, while referring to a question, ‘To write an article on social networking sites’ which came in the exam of Information Technology. Similar reactions were seen from those who came out after giving the exam for FC – Maths. ‘The material provided in the book and questions asked in the exam were irrelative. For example, Q5 required a person to make a bar graph or pie chart for which there are few methods, which were though not mentioned in book’, said Kalee Kapoor of Matreyi college.

One can easily figure out the increasing rage pertaining to FCs among the students. With DUTA demanding a rollback and the rising sentiments of students who are unhappy with the inclusion of FCs, along with 44 colleges against the FYUP, the Foundation Courses as well as the FYUP seem to be in deep trouble.

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