At the height of the Delhi University- University grants Commission face off, the harbinger of FYUP, Prof. Dinesh Singh resigned from his position as Vice Chancellor earlier today.

The resignation came after the Supreme Court dismissed a plea moved by the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) seeking cancellation of the University Grants Commission (UGC) order asking the Delhi University (DU) to scrap its four-year undergraduate programme. Rumors of Mr. Singh resigning if the Four Year Undergraduate Programme was scrapped had already been floating around last week when the UGC order to scrap FYUP came in. On being questioned, DUTA joint secretary, Ms. Anita Ghosh confirmed the resignation, stating the irresponsible and rushed enforcement of FYUP harmful for the future of Delhi University.

‘Yes, in wake of the ongoing proposals, The VC has resigned. The four year plan had so many flaws. A lot of teachers’ opinions were brushed aside. The reckless implementation was spearheaded by the Vice Chancellor alone. It is sad how such so many loop holes were ignored. Even though they extended a year, the course structure was extremely weak and was rather a disservice to the students. With the revoking of the old plan and, hopefully, some improvements, Delhi University will regain it’s lost glory.’

Admission in Delhi University which were supposed to begin on 24th June have been stalled due to the lack of clarity in the admission process.The UGC had issued directions to all 64 colleges under Delhi University to conduct their admissions under the three-year under-graduate programme and not under the four-year UG programme. Colleges were warned of facing ‘consequences’ if they failed to follow the Commission’s directions.

Students who have just complete a year of FYUP are in a state of shock and confusion. The recent occurrences and the decision has left them in a lurch and quite unsure of the state of their degree. Says Vani, a student at Jesus Mary College, ” The resignation of the VC leaves us in a lurch. Our batch has forever been subjected to experiments, but this time the experiment has gone wrong. With our futures now very uncertain, one can’t help but wonder why didn’t the UGC step up all of last year midst the continuous protests. How can any alternative they come up with make up for the one year completely wasted on sub par subjects ?”

Unlike the statements being professed by student political parties , not all students of FYUP want it to be withdrawn. For some the courses in FYUP gave an interesting bend to college studies. Ayesha, a student of DU has lost her faith in the University. She says,” I am in shock. Its like a doomsday in the history of Indian Education. I am not prepared for the monotonous course prevalent in the past. And I am quite saddened at the fact that now I will neither get to study two disciplines and nor will be skilled enough for a job after my graduation.”

Raghav Chopra
Niharika Singh

 

Hours after releasing the first cut off, Shri Ram College of Commerce squashed hopes of many by announcing that they were in fact also not continuing with the admission process.

DU Beat spoke to the Principal, Dr. PC Jain when the list first appeared on the website, “The college published the cut off list at 5:30 PM, before the decision of deferring the admissions was taken by the Principal’s Association of University of Delhi. Abiding by the unanimous decision of the Association, no admission shall take place in any colleges of DU until any further notice.”

SRCC had issued a cut-off of 97.5 per cent for general category students for admission to its Economics course and 97 for its Commerce course.

The Principals Association of the Delhi University had an emergency meeting following the orders of University Grants Commission during which its president S K Garg announced that the decision to defer from the admission process has been made until a comprehensible decision has been made.

The University Grant’s Commission has tightened the noose around the controversial Four Year Under graduation programme (FYUP) of Delhi University. The UGC has issued a directive asking all DU colleges to admit students under the previous format of three year under graduation.UGC has also warned the colleges of severe consequences in a situation where in the directive is ignored or the freshly issued UGC admission guidelines are violated.

The statement issued by the UGC explicitly reads,” Under no circumstances shall the University of Delhi or any of the colleges under it admit students to the FYUP for academic year 2014-15.” The statement also provides for an option of hassle free migration to the three-year programme for students of batch 2013-14. The commission has ensured that the students who have studied their first year under the FYUP format shall be at no disadvantage. They will be able to acquire their complete educational competencies and academic skills, during the next two academic years.

Any deviation from the directive by the University of Delhi or any allied college shall amount to be in contravention of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 and shall have its consequences. The consequences include the cancellation of grants to colleges and de-recognizing of the degree so provided by the University of Delhi.

In order to ensure the proper execution and implementation of the directive, the UGG has decided to frame a ten member committee to advise the University of Delhi. The committee shall represent interests of all parties affected by the decision. The prominent names in run are of DUTA President Nandita Narain, DUSU president Aman Awana and Vice President of UGC.

“Even though any step towards the scrapping of FYUP is welcome, yet the timing of UGC intervention is rather bad. It defames the name of University and causes great mayhem at such a crucial time, where the admission process starts in colleges from Tuesday.” said, a student of FYUP batch of 2013-14.

 

The decision of UGC came after Delhi University’s defiance of the Commission’s previous directive. The directive stated that the FYUP wasn’t in consonance with the National Education Policy of ’10+2+3′. In response to this, the University released a statement in press that explained how a student enrolled in B.A./ B.Sc/ B.Com would get an under graduation degree in three years of study and that the FYUP did not violate the ’10+2+3′ policy. The fourth year of study was just an optional year for student wishful of obtaining a B.A. Honors /B.Sc Honors/ B.Com Honors or B.Tech degree.

“After an emergency meeting of the Principals Association of the University of Delhi,  it has been decided that the admission proceedings scheduled to begin from tomorrow, have been stalled until clear-cut guidelines are issued by the competent authority on the issue. Hence, no undergraduate cut off list is expected to be issed tomorrow.” confirms Ms. Nandita Narain, President, Delhi University Teachers Association.

 

Now that the first list of eligibility percentages is out and students flock the colleges all over Delhi to seek admissions, here is a list of few essentials you ought to carry along with,as you head out of your homes.

The Documents required for procedure of admission.

• A list of all the colleges you are eligible in on the basis of the cut-offs.
• At least 5 photocopies, attested by a gazetted officer and also self-attested of the following documents along with the laminated originals:

• Class X marksheet + passing certificate
• Class XII marksheet + passing certificate ( If the passing certificate has not yet been issued, a provisional certificate from your school)
• Receipt of the Common Admission Form
• Migration Certificate (esp. for outstation students)
• School Leaving Certificate
• If you are seeking admission in a category other than ‘General’ such as SC, ST or OBC, do carry the certificate authenticating your claim. Remember, such a certificate shall be considered legitimate, only if issued in your name, your parent’s certificate won’t work.

Other equally important stuff.

• About 10 latest passport-size coloured photographs
• A black and blue pen, a pencil, stapler with extra pins, glue
• Around 10,000 INR in a carefully concealed envelope
• Some cash in change of 100 INR and 500 INR notes for prospectus purchases and transportation. You might also want to keep a Metro card with sufficient balance handy.

Also, not to miss out these.

Apart from these extremely important stuff, do not forget:

• A water-bottle
• Some easy-to-carry snacks
• A packet of glucose biscuits
• An umbrella
• Some spare change
• A cellphone with adequate amount of balance
• Some blank sheets
• A folder
• A big, but comfortable carry bag
• Comfortable shoes and clothes

Bringing along a companion, preferably an elder turns out to be beneficial. Remember to not panic.In case you realize at the college that you do not meet their requirements, make a quick decision and refer to your list of eligible colleges for the next viable and easily accessible college.

Save a seat first and then, wait for the next cut-off.

Ayesha Sareen for DU Beat
[email protected]

 

It’s the admission time all over again. The frenzy, the nervousness and the anxiety.  Well, fuchaas, (that’s what newbies are referred to as in DU) June is a roller coaster ride for you. From the nagging,” Beta thoda aur padh lete, toh aaj scene kuch aur hota” to the unhelpful words of wisdom from a topper saying,” Koina yaar, admissions ho jayegi, you’ll hear it all. The constant trips to Delhi for admission procedures will make you tanned for sure, so better carry that 40 SPF sunscreen. Just kidding!  A wise DU aspirant should expect the unexpected, but here are a few pointers which you need to keep in mind when you go through this phase of college life.

Be prepared beforehand:

Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Too vague? Let me explain. The cut-offs are very dicey. Not even the best astrologer of the country can predict them. So what do you do? You prepare for the worst case scenario too.  Chalk out in advance the colleges you’ll try for and check rankings and the cut-offs from last year. But hey, keep praying for the best. You never know what might happen.

Photocopies, photocopies and…. more photocopies:

So the cut-offs have been announced and you’ve made it to XYZ college’s merit list. Congratulations, but your struggle still doesn’t end here. In the entire process of admissions, ONE thing will have to become your constant mate i.e. photocopies of all the important documents. Birth certificate, mark sheet, character certificate, sports and ECA documents (if you apply through these categories). Make sure you have 5 copies of each. It might lead to wastage of paper, but it’ll save on efforts and time.

Delhi is hot (no pun intended):

It’s that time of the year when even the weather conditions seem to abandon you for good. It’s scorching hot in Delhi. Carry basic medicines, water bottles, glucose, sunglasses and everything you think you need to combat heat. Believe me, you don’t want to feel sick when you are standing in the line for admissions.

The cafe/canteen/photocopy bhaiya:

You want to know about the college routes? The nearest place to eat? A nice, comfy place to chill? Any admission related doubt? You go straight to the cafe/canteen/photocopy bhaiya. He knows everything, from the Principal’s room to the washroom. Engage him in small talk and voila, you’ll get some handy tips. You also have the DU Beat archives to browse through, of course!

Brochure reading time:

It sounds clichéd, but you need to read brochures carefully (Yes, that thing is for you to read, not to fan yourself in the airless weather). Read about your course, colleges, teaching format and any other material you can lay your hands on. The future of the FYUP is still unclear, so stop guessing the outcome. Be ready for all situations, be it three years or four years.

And relax, it’s not that tough. It’s an experience you’ll get to go through only once, so make the most of it and make your own happening “admission story”. Just to clarify, being swindled by fake admission officers doesn’t count, so do remember to think twice before handing out money to shady looking people who try to approach you and promise to get you seats in the best colleges of Delhi University!

Ishita Sharma
[email protected]