FYUP impractical, rigid, says DUTA; submits petition to President

Indian Express

4 days ago

More than a year after the RSS-backed National Democratic Teachers Front (NDTF) swept the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) elections, the union's leadership has expressed its ire towards the university's four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP), calling it 'rigid,' 'impractical,' and a 'compromise to academic standards and integrity'.
At a press conference held Monday at the India International Centre, DUTA office-bearers condemned the implementation of the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. DUTA President Prof A K Bhagi said the framework, introduced in the fourth year of the new system, 'diluted academic depth' by reducing the credit load of core and discipline-specific subjects and overloading students and teachers with unnecessary paperwork and fragmented assessments.
'The faculty is overburdened with teaching and administrative responsibilities, but there has been no corresponding recruitment or infrastructure expansion,' Prof Bhagi said, citing overcrowded classrooms and laboratories as a key concern.
He warned that allowing regular students to earn credits through online platforms such as SWAYAM and MOOCs would further erode academic standards and undermine classroom teaching. 'This will reduce meaningful student-teacher engagement and distort teaching workloads,' he said.
Demanding immediate intervention in the drafting of the UGC Regulations 2025, the DUTA has submitted a petition to President Droupadi Murmu, who, as the Visitor to the varsity, has the power to review work and appointments.
In a detailed resolution adopted at a national convention held on April 19 at the India International Centre, DUTA said the UGC's proposed alignment with the NEP 2020 lacked both consultation and critical evaluation. 'The rolled-out four-year undergraduate programme is yet to have its first batch graduate. Many other aspects, including the one-year postgraduate course, are yet to be implemented,' the petition noted, calling for a halt to what it described as 'undue haste' in regulation-making.
The convention, attended by representatives from Federation of Central Universities Teachers Associations (FEDCUTA), Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA), IGNOUTA, and several central universities, rejected the Draft UGC Regulations in their current form, stating they 'must be made an integral part of the 8th Pay Commission revision of pay scales, and that too with suggested modifications.'
One of the central contentions raised by DUTA was the erosion of academic autonomy and the potential for increased inequality under the new framework. 'Shortfall and backlog positions with the 200-point roster should be filled immediately,' it stated, insisting that the 'None Found Suitable' clause—often cited in recruitment delays—was 'not acceptable to teachers wherever candidates with minimum eligibility are available.'
In the petition to the President, the teachers' body also demanded the release of teaching positions for the additional fourth year introduced under NEP, as well as separate allocations for the expansion of EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) reservations.
Highlighting systemic concerns, the resolution questioned the removal of service-based incentives for MPhil and PhD qualifications and demanded that increments for such degrees be continued. 'These increments serve as legitimate incentives to encourage higher academic attainment,' DUTA argued.
A major point of friction lies in the mandatory PhD requirement for promotions, which DUTA termed 'undesirable,' especially in the context of diverse institutional realities. 'Appointment and promotion criteria should not be overly stringent… a one-size-fits-all approach is not suitable,' it said, calling for greater flexibility to accommodate discipline-specific challenges and regional disparities.
In a bid to foreground classroom teaching, the association proposed that Teaching Learning Centres (TLCs) be prioritised over Innovation and Technology Centres (ITCs) in promotion criteria, especially in institutions lacking digital infrastructure.
No contractual appointments against sanctioned teaching posts, recognition of past service in ad-hoc or post-doctoral roles for career advancement, time-bound and transparent promotion procedures, equal retirement conditions for librarians and physical education staff, a clear policy to avoid cap limits on senior professor promotions, and appointment of only 'eminent academicians' as university Vice-Chancellors are among other demands.
DUTA also took aim at the proposed 'Professor of Practice' positions, calling for a complete ban on appointing them against regular sanctioned posts.
With growing discontent on campuses over the implementation of NEP-related reforms, DUTA's petition to the Visitor signals an escalating standoff between faculty and policymakers. 'It is imperative that the UGC gives due consideration to the feedback submitted by DUTA,' the petition concluded, 'and ensures the incorporation of relevant suggestions before finalisation.'