57 out of 64 colleges under DU to implement 3-year undergraduate programme: UGC

NEW DELHI: In a major development in the four-year undergraduate programme row between the University Grants Commission and Delhi University, the UGC on Tuesday has said 57 out of 64 colleges under DU have informed it they will be implementing three-year undergraduate programme.

Earlier in the day, Dinesh Singh, the vice-chancellor of Delhi University, had tendered his resignation. This was confirmed by an SMS from the media coordinator of DU, Malay Neerav.

Speculations was rife since Monday night about Singh's resignation following the UGC's order on complying with the National Education Policy and rollback of the four-year-undergraduate programme immediately.

Dinesh Singh's resignation came just after the Supreme Court refused to admit a PIL filed by a group of teachers who questioned the UGC's order over the FYUP.

Within minutes of Singh's resignation, according to sources, pro-VC Sudheesh Pachauri, and the dean of colleges, Malashri Lal, also tendered their resignations.

Singh took over as the VC of the central university on October 29, 2010 and introduced the controversial FYUP in 2013-14 academic session.

The DU administration under Singh's command has been under pressure for nearly a week from the UGC to review/reconsider the FYUP.

The regulatory authority on June 16, 2014, following a full commission meeting, wrote to the university to reconsider/review the FYUP.

Members of "Youth for Change" dance as they celebrate the UGC's order to Delhi University on the FYUP at the university's North Campus in New Delhi.

On June 20, the UGC ordered the DU to conduct the admissions under the three-year structure that was in existence till 2012-13.

Receiving no response from the university, the commission started direct communication with the colleges to comply with the orders.

DU Teachers' Association has been opposing the introduction of the FYUP since 2012 and it was supported by left-backed Democratic Teachers' Front and All India Students' Organization.

In 2013, the student wing of BJP, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, had also started opposing the FYUP and started demanding a complete rollback.

Right-wing National Democratic Teachers' Front also joined the opposing team, though initially a faction of it was in support of the reforms.

And in last one month, the students opposition was complete with Congress's National Students' Union also opposing the reforms its parent organization supported.