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Four Year Undergraduate Programme protests

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The Four Year Undergraduate Programme protests or FYUP row was part of several protests against the implementation of certain controversial reforms at the University of Delhi. The protests intensified between 2013 and 2014,[1][2] when a new four year undergraduate programme was started by the administrative authorities at the university.[3] In June 2014, the University Grants Commission (UGC) sent a legal notice to the management, directing the university to immediately scrap the four year programme and revert to the earlier three year undergraduate degree,[4] as it found the four year programme to be in violation with the National Policy of Education in India.[5][6]

Stand-off between Delhi University and the UGC

Proponents of the FYUP programme, and members of the academic fraternity, felt that UGC's directive to the university was a step against its autonomy.[7] One of these also included BB Bhattacharya, the former vice chancellor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi.[8][9]

However, others see these reforms as a move to privatise a public university, as part of the previous Congress-led UPA government's agenda[10] to enable foreign universities to set up campuses in India.[11] They instead stressed upon the need for greater public policy and regulation in the education system.[12]

The FYUP

The programme was structured such that it would be inter-disciplinary, which was not the case in the traditional honours programme. The syllabus of the four year undergraduate programme consisted of eleven compulsory foundation courses, which included the following:

  • Language, Literature and Creativity I
  • Language, Literature and Creativity II (English)
  • Information Technology
  • Business, Entrepreneurship and Management
  • Science and Life OR History of Science (for Visually Impaired Students)
  • Indian History and Culture
  • Building Mathematical Ability OR Mathematical Awareness (for Visually Impaired Students)
  • Applied Language Course (in English / Hindi / Bengali / Arabic / Persian / Punjabi / Sanskrit / Urdu)
  • Governance and Citizenship
  • Philosophy, Psychology, Communication and Life Skills
  • Geographic and Socio-Economic Diversity
  • Environment and Public Health

These foundation courses were designed with the intention of addressing issues related to economic development, energy, water, urbanisation, rural culture, infrastructure, transport, sanitation, environment, public health, food security, agriculture, education, literacy, ethics, and social justice. The methodology of teaching was meant to inculcate a participatory ethos, with a minimised pressure on reading, and a greater emphasis on presentation skills.

Over and above the foundation course were the applied language courses, and the "DC I" and "DC II" courses that would pertain to a student's choice of major and minor specialisations respectively. There were also a set of applied courses, and finally a course on the "integration of mind, body, and heart", which was to be based on Gandhian philosophy.[13]

References

  1. ^ "DUTA Protests against FYUP, Semester System". The Hindu. 19 Feb 2014.
  2. ^ "Protests against FYUP continue." The Hindu. 4 October 2013.
  3. ^ "Is Delhi University Dying?" Harish Trivedi. Times of India. 29 May 2013.
  4. ^ UGC set to make DU scrap FYUP. Times of India. 21 June 2014.
  5. ^ UGC gives DU a day to scrap FYUP. Times of India. 23 June 2014.
  6. ^ DU rolls back FYUP, says VC Dinesh Singh. Times of India. 27 June 2014.
  7. ^ "FYUP Row: It's time to put the institution first." Nandini Sundar. The Hindustan Times. 24 June 2014.
  8. ^ Scholars at odds over DU autonomy. Times of India. 25 June 2014.
  9. ^ "Academics Raise Voice Against UGC Order on FYUP Rollback". The Indian Express. 23 June 2014.
  10. ^ Congress on the FYUP. TOI. 25 June 2014.
  11. ^ Modi Govt. to Prioritise a PET UPA Project: Foreign Universities. NDTV 11 June 2014.
  12. ^ "DU-UGC Spat Over, but a Larger Battle Looms: 3 Lessons for the Future". Debaditya Bhattacharya. First Post. 24 June 2014.
  13. ^ "FYUP Programme Structure details for English students". Archived from the original on 21 June 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
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